


A Multiverse of DamiRae

by DoomBeThyName



Category: DC Animated Universe (Timmverse), Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020), Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016), Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
Genre: DamiRae - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:00:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 64,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26981788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomBeThyName/pseuds/DoomBeThyName
Summary: This is my personal series of one-shots. I know Raven is a singular entity in DC. She is unrepeatable across the universe, every bit as divine as her father and the entire realm of Azarath. I conveniently forgot that as I wrote this. How else can we get an unlimited amount of stories for our favorite lovebirds?These chapters will be on the longer side as each is a full story from beginning to end.Ch. 1: The Lost Temple of Azarath- 28.9k wordsCh. 2: Under the Red Hood- 20.9k wordsCh. 3: I Can't Wait (A Christmas Special)- 8k wordsCh. 4: The Last Titan- 5.5k words, but only a third/fourth of the way finished.
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Kon-El | Conner Kent/Donna Troy, Raven/Damian Wayne, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake
Comments: 45
Kudos: 173





	1. The Lost Temple of Azarath (Universe 15159)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first piece is finally finished! I hope you guys enjoy!

“And you’re sure you want to do this?”

Damian Wayne sighed. This of course had been the reason Selina had offered to help Damian and Alfred with dinner tonight. He looked up from setting the table into the anxious and curious green eyes of his stepmother.

“Did my father put you up to this?” he asked. “Or was it Richard?”

Selina looked a little wounded. “You know we all worry about you. Not even Jason has disappeared for three months before.”

“Close to it,” Damian muttered, continuing to set the gold silverware on mats.

The corner of Selina’s mouth twisted up. “Okay, I’ll give you that,” she said, “but that _particular_ spring break aside, your father and I thought- we never thought you or any of your brothers would want to just _leave_ the moment you had the chance.”

Guilt tightened his throat. He looked up at the woman who had been his mother for the last six years. “You know it’s not like that,” said Damian, “I have to do this for me. Not because I’ve had enough of this place.”

Selina opened her mouth to respond again, but a very loud voice cut her off before she could.

“Oh, let the poor guy go put some miles on his soul,” blurted Jason, walking into the dining room. Damian scowled at his second-eldest brother. He was wearing his usual fine brown leather jacket and windswept jet-black hair.

“Hey mom,” Jason leaned in pecked a light kiss on her cheek, “what did you and Al make for dinner tonight?”

“Your brother helped as well,” said Selina.

Jason scoffed. “Yeah, I hope you pour that water evenly short-stack.”

“ _Enough_ ,” growled Selina before Damian could retaliate. “Be kind tonight. Where is Artemis? Is she coming?”

“Yeah,” answered Jason, “she was off at the library doing, I don’t know, library stuff. She’s riding with Dick and Babs back. I was out cruising, seeing how fast I could circle Gotham bay.”

Selina’s eyes narrowed. “While not wearing that red helmet we got you again, I see.”

Jason’s cool demeanor faltered. He glanced away. “Blame Artemis. She likes the look the high winds give me.”

“Yes,” said Damian dryly, “I’m sure it’s that and not your own self-sustaining need to feel like a young hooligan again.”

Selina chuckled and Jason scowled. But his facelifted as an elderly man in a finely pressed tux, neatly combed white hair, and spectacles stepped out into the dining hall.

“Ah, Master Jason, good to see you have arrived timely for once,” smiled Alfred Pennyworth.

Jason grinned. “Hey, Al. Smells good.”

“Roast beef with caramelized onion gravy, sir,” said Alfred.

“Awesome,” said Jason, “and for short-stack?”

“I found a tomato in the back.”

Damian groaned as his brother and stepmother laughed at his expense. Small moments like these made it feel like his place next week wouldn’t leave soon enough.

~

Many people would have found the long, round table with the white cloth, gold silverware, and candlesticks of the Wayne family dining hall posh to the point of snobbish, but they just hadn’t been around it while it was surrounded by the family it was for, and that always meant a loud room, and a warm hearth.

“I was just going for that roll, dude!” Tim loudly complained as Jason snagged the last buttery warm bread piece from the basket. Artemis, with her reddish-orange hair tied up into a high ponytail, just rolled her eyes at her longtime boyfriend.

“They didn’t have a _clue_ we already knew,” Dick was saying to Bruce with a devious smile on his face, swirling his red wine, ignoring the noise.

“It’s still intimidating to me swiping the card for that much,” said Barbara Gordon, looking rather anxious behind her glasses.

“It still gets to me sometimes, too,” said Selina, nodding, “sometimes I get the old urge of ripping the tags off and making away… but the therapist Bruce tried to get me to see says that sort of adrenaline is bad for my mental health. Just have a glass of wine before you shop, it’ll be funner.”

Barbara and Stephanie Brown, Tim’s girlfriend, laughed.

Cassandra and Damian were by far the quietest of the bunch, yet both were nestled right in the middle of all the routine chaos, sitting next to each other, speaking like sensible people between bites.

“Do you need any help packing?” she asked timidly.

Damian gave her a rare smile. “I’ve got everything handled, Cass. Thank you though.”

“Do you have to be gone the entire summer?” she asked. Damian fought off a frown. His sister Cassandra had an even tougher time letting go than his father.

None of the siblings were biologically tied, of course. His father, Bruce Wayne, had a fascination with adopting, possibly something that was bound to his heart after being an orphan himself. Dick Grayson was the first, a by-the-books type of guy who was well on his way to becoming Gotham’s youngest ever District Attorney, barely in his mid-twenties. In that line of work, he had met his fiancé, Barbara Gordon, the daughter of the Chief Commissioner.

Jason Todd was a special case of the Wayne family. In his early twenties now, he had been nearly every bit as blue-collar as Dick Grayson as well until the faithful day he fell into the bubbly, green liquid- absinthe. His late teen years had been filled with Bruce and Selina getting calls at three o’clock in the morning telling them a familiar story about how Jason needed to get picked up after caught drinking with somebody’s daughter. But after a bit of sorting out and maturing, he found Artemis and they now shared a loft in the city.

Tim and Cassandra had both come into the family at the same time, both with the same passion for being detectives which made them as thick as thieves. They each graduated last month, and each has recently turned eighteen. They were looking forward to a nice last summer before heading out to university.

Damian Wayne was the youngest of the Wayne family. Only sixteen, but finished with all the schooling needed before university work. He came into the fray when he was ten years old, two years after his father had married Selina Kyle.

He had grown weary of the prodigy life in Gotham. Classrooms of close-minded intelligence, skyscrapers full of business people moving large amounts of money, believing they were getting things done, to reporters crowded outside of the Wayne Manor’s gates most times of the day, hoping to start some ridiculous, scandalous rumor like ‘ _Bruce Wayne and the nanny’_ or ‘ _Not Everything Is As Happy As It Seems’_.

Damian had just needed a break. And so when he’d heard of an opportunity in a remote location, he pulled a few strings to jump on the chance.

“Azarath _is_ quite the place for an extended visit,” said Stephanie, gazing at Damian with the same anxious stare as his stepmother had.

“Well I didn’t think I’d be able to see all of it in a weekend,” Damian said back, twirling the creamy contents of his bowl.

Some of the talking and laughter died out around the table. Damian knew his parents were watching him intently now.

“I’ve always wanted to see Azarath,” said Barbara bracingly, “it’s Europe’s best mystery to this day.”

“Eight million acres of forest,” said Jason, “untouched by time.”

“Heaven on Earth,” muttered Damian, sipping his drink.

“A lot of local legends have sprung up around Azarath,” said Tim. “The people in the suburbs away from the forest state there’s magic in those trees. That people have gone camping and waken up with life-long injuries completely healed.”

“And that some who go camping are never heard from again,” smirked Jason, drinking some wine. Artemis swatted his leg as Selina scowled over at him.

I think everyone in the world has heard the tale of the Lost Temple of Azarath,” said Dick, grinning. “But people also believe Scotland has a monster in one of its lakes and that Megalodon is still a thing.”

Jason planted his wine glass down with a sharp _plink_. “Those are both true!”

“But being a fire-watcher,” Bruce spoke up, looking at his youngest son, “in Europe’s most unexplored location is on the drastic side of getting away, myths or not.”

Damian kept composed. They were all glancing at him now.

“I need a breather from city life,” he said, “I want to see mountains again.”

And that was a point Bruce nor his wife had found an argument against, though by the glance they shared just then, it was obvious they wanted to. They couldn’t forbid Damian from going, not if they would have been fine sending him to any university in the world just months from now, now that he graduated. He was more than a man than most twice his age. And he did, after all, grow up in a remote area. If any of them were going to disappear for three months into a forest, he had the best chance of coming out in the same condition he went in.

“We’ll write to you,” said Cassandra quietly, “all the time.”

Jason snorted. Bruce looked on the verge of throwing his wine at him.

“Maybe Wayne Enterprises can build an internet tower there before next week,” said Dick, smiling again. He was looking at their father.

Bruce smiled back. “My own father once tried to start a real estate development there. That forest takes up the bulk of the entire country of Azarath and he thought it’d make for good commerce between the two countries on its sides and also a great luxury getaway for the super-rich.”

“Why did he abandon it?” Barbara asked.

Bruce hummed. “I believe he told me once, but I can’t quite remember.” He looked up as his oldest friend came into the room carrying desserts. “Alfred, do you remember why Wayne Enterprises aborted development in Azarath?”

“Oh, yes sir,” said Alfred, gently setting the tray down in front of an eager Jason, “the company sent a small party to provide a quarter of a mile of deforestation.” He offered a plate of his home-made white-chocolate-and-strawberry cheesecake to Selina. Then looked back at Bruce. “Nearly half of them disappeared the first night they made camp out of the forest’s borders. And all of their supplies went missing.”

It took them all a moment to absorb that information. Even Bruce was caught off-guard.

Jason was the first to recover.

“So those monks of some mythical lost temple in the forest’s depths are just murdering tree-huggers,” he said easily, taking some cookies happily. Selina and Artemis swatted the back of his head simultaneously before he took his first bite.

“I’m _so glad_ this is the place you’re taking your breather in,” said Stephanie, a crazy worry in her eyes now.

“Me too,” said Damian, ignoring the sarcasm.

Bruce and Selina traded another glance, both trying very hard not to voice their raising objections.

~

“Take off is in two days,” said Selina. “Do you have everything you need?”

“Can’t think of anything else,” muttered Damian, looking at his sole suitcase.

“Your father and I will send you new clothes often,” she said, her voice going a little high, “so make sure to tell us how the weather is. How the winds are, the temp drop at night, we’re sure if they can manage letters and food to you, they can get heated quilts-“

“I’ll let you know every little detail,” said Damian, closing his eyes for patience, “I promise.”

Selina stood in his doorway, obviously wanting to spill out more. She had a hand rubbing the back of her neck for comfort, physical anxiety taking her. Her green eyes, so close to Damian’s own shade, shone with worry. Her short, pixie-like black hair was hardly any longer than her husband’s.

But all the same, she nodded and left, giving him space. Damian glanced wearily at the plate full of raisin-and-quinoa cookies on his nightstand. Alfred had been making his favorites all week.

It felt… good to Damian, that they cared so much. That he _was_ in their thoughts (even in Todd’s own weird way, like when he told Damian the day prior that if he left, he would only be getting Alfred’s stale crackers and not the freshly made ones), but he also needed his space. He needed openness. To perhaps sit on a thick branch of a tree and gaze upon miles of scenery unchanged from when it was first finished by God’s own hand.

There was a knock at the door.

Damian sighed tiredly. “Grayson, if that’s you again, I swear-“

“It’s not Grayson.”

Damian stilled. He turned and came across Stephanie Brown standing timidly in his open doorway.

Damian stood up, feeling a little uncomfortable as Stephanie appraised his luggage seat and the minimalistic décor of his room.

She cleared her throat. “Ah, I was taking off for the night, my parents want me back early for my mom’s friend’s bridal shower in the morning,” she said, her hands folded behind her back. “I won’t be back around before you leave, so… I just wanted to say goodbye. And good luck this summer. I really hope you get the break you’re looking for.”

Damian glanced down. He knew there was a little heat in his cheeks. “Thank you,” he muttered. They stood there more awkwardly still.

There had been a time, not long ago, where Damian had developed something akin to a crush on Stephanie Brown. He hadn’t hung around many people socially and she was always at the manor visiting her best friend, Tim. A cool, older, and rather attractive girl who took Damian’s dry humor and snide comments in stride. He couldn’t help but feel a little bitter on the inside when she and Tim made a huge transition from best friends to obvious lovers one magical night when he kissed her. But Damian swallowed that small resentment down.

The embarrassing part came from Stephanie knowing about his crush all along.

“I know you’re not much of a hugger,” Stephanie started off, raising her arms slowly, “but since you’ll be gone till September?”

Damian went redder. “That’s not necessary,” he said.

The corner of Steph’s mouth went down. “We’re friends,” she told him.

Damian swallowed. He wasn’t a physically affectionate person in the least, but he’d gotten used to some manners as Cassandra had little mind for personal space. He hesitantly stepped forward and wrapped his arms awkwardly around his brother’s girlfriend. They parted quickly.

“Have a great time,” she said sincerely, “and _don’t_ get eaten.” She glanced at the sword on his bed behind him, a graduation gift from his father and Selina, to satiate some of his fascination with blades. “And also don’t come back covered in wild animal pelts.”

Damian laughed once. “Thanks, Stephanie.”

Stephanie smiled fondly, and with a little sadness, before slowly turning around and making her way out of the room. Damian watched her blonde hair dancing behind her.

He took a deep breath. It was just like when he was twelve. That Halloween the Wayne’s hosted a private party and his father’s best friend’s, Clark Kent’s, whole family showed up. Damian couldn’t stop the fondness he had of the girl Kara Danvers. Blonde hair, blue eyes, bright and happy, but also with a note of grounded seriousness in her eyes. Nor could he stop the jealousy in his heart when Jason dated her shortly after. How playful they were around the manor before it fell apart.

Still… these had just been moments in time. Small crushes. They happened, and you acted on them or you didn’t. Neither one of these girls had been necessarily good for Damian. Nor he for them.

It was best to just let go of things, Damian felt. So sure of himself always, he was certain he would never once have that true need of a life-long partner.

He stared at the blade he was gifted, his most treasured possession. The only thing that mattered was his singular, life adventure.

~

The ride to the private Wayne airport had been filled with hassle galore.

First, there was his own stepmom’s demanding of everyone being timely (despite them owning the plane, it would just take-off whenever they got there), then there was Alfred trying to secure as much tubaware of food into Damian’s luggage as possible before they left, then there was Todd showing up as late as could be.

And then there was, of course, the reporters.

_“Mr. Wayne, is it true Wayne Enterprises is buying local farms for commercial real estate?”_

_“Is it true your youngest son is leaving because he’s become too much of a handful like Jason Todd before him?”_

_“Mrs. Wayne, coming from the alleyways of Gotham City, how does it feel to wear a twenty-eight thousand dollar dress?”_

_“Did you SLEEP your way to the top?”_

There was no hesitation after that last one. It was just a matter of who got to him first.

Jason slammed his red helmet on the top of that reporter’s head, gashing open his forehead nicely.

“I’ve got no problem buying you a wardrobe in court you son of a fucking-“

“No!” snarled Selina. “Come on. They’re not worth it.”

_“Is that mocking how poor we are compared to the Wayne family?”_

Damian groaned in relief when they finally made their way into the gates of the private Wayne airport. The jet-black luxurious plane was nestled there, ready for take-off. Capable of seating forty, but this time it would be one passenger, and one passenger only.

He turned to the rest of them before making his way up the lift into the plane. This would be his last time seeing them for over ninety days. They stood there, grouped together, gazing at him. Bruce and Selina with a mixture of pride and worry. Dick stood next to Barbara, who looked happy for him, a blanket covering her lap in her wheelchair. Artemis and Jason stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Tim was in front of the pair, a head shorter than both.

Jason nodded. “That’ll do, pig.”

Everyone groaned.

“You’re the worst,” Artemis grumbled to him.

“Write us the first night,” said Selina, “so that way we know the trip at least went okay.”

Damian nodded. He looked at his father.

“The watchtower is over eight hundred thousand acres in,” informed Bruce, “it’s some of the most remote parts of the remote forest in of itself. Please, son… if you leave that tower for any length of time, or for any time at all… take that sword.”

“See?” Dick grinned at Selina. “We told you it would come in handy for him.”

“You’re probably going to see large man-eating spiders,” said Tim, smiling. “Find dozens of skeletons of missing people in its lair.”

“That actually would be pretty cool,” mused Barbara, “like one of Jason’s video games.”

“If you’re done now,” said Damian dryly, “I think I’d rather not prolong this farewell and make leave.”

“Take care, short stack,” grinned Jason, crossing his arms.

“It’s just a transient retreat,” said Damian, “I’ll be back soon.” He glanced at his father and anxious-looking stepmother. “Unless a bear gets me,” he added. He heard his father’s scolding and Selina’s groan along with his brother’s laughter as he turned around.

The family all gave their youngest member a last look before he turned and made his way up the steps. The doors shut behind him. After they backed away a safe distance, Damian watched them wave from a passenger seat until they were out of sight and reclined, thinking of his coming adventure in solitude.

** Day 1 **

Damian did not think he would ever forget how mesmerized he first was standing at the very edge of Azarath’s world-renowned woods. Mist was hanging in the air between the trees that went stories high.

It was over a week-long trek in total getting to the watchtower that would be his home until September. A cargo truck took him a day or so deep into the forest on dirt roads, but nothing had been built any deeper. There weren’t even buildings. It was a wonder to Damian how they even got watch towers up.

Once the truck took him as far as it could go, he trekked for days, making camps at sites established previously on maps. Now he wished he had packed even lighter, his arms throbbing from pulling so much weight continuously, often getting caught on the forest floor.

The scenery, however, was already worth it, whichever way he looked. He came across pure ponds, beautiful meadows, gorgeous wildlife, still peaceful because they did not know a reason to fear man. An elk once got close enough to allow Damian to scratch its head. He fed it an apple and made his way off again.

At long last, he started breaking out into a bit of a clearing and could make out the tower over the distant trees. As he came upon it, dusk was arriving, giving a gorgeous dim glow on the meadow in front of the tower. It sat up a hill, giving it even more presence. Sixty feet high, a single room was nested at the top. Damian was aching to not only see the view he would have but finally rest as well. Each day had been so long. He made his way up the mountain of stairs to heaven.

There was a notice on the door: Watchtower Goliath - Ensure Coast Is Clear Before Resting.

Oh, that’s great, Damian thought. He hadn’t considered the deadly spiders and snakes that may have made their way up here, though he probably should have. He opened the door and flicked on the lights, powered by a generator at the base of the tower.

It was a decent room, but less than that what he had back at the manor. Probably twenty by twenty-five feet. Three walls were windows from about waist level up to the ceiling to allow for the constant view needed for the job. The back wall had a full-size bed pressed against it with a dresser, a desk, and a bulletin board that held a large map. The coast was also clear of cobwebs or any other lifeforms besides him, but none of these things held his attention.

_That view._

The hills sprawling to the right were glorious. Old oak trees scattered everywhere. He could see a lake down in a valley the distance, gleaming perfectly. And the mountains of Azarath much further beyond that, still in view. A sprawling view he hadn’t been able to take in since he left Nanda Parbat. It was serenity. It was a dream come true.

At long last. Peace and quiet.

“Finally,” Damian whispered to himself.

_“Hello?”_ came a female voice, causing Damian to jump. _“Hello? Watchtower Goliath? This is Oversight calling for the third time today. Have you made it there yet?”_

Damian’s head whipped to the direction of the voice. There was a yellow-and-black walkie talkie on the desk. His supervisor for the summer was trying to get ahold of him. He hadn’t been told anything about them.

Damian felt sour as he walked up to it. There could’ve been a few more moments of uninterrupted bliss. But as she said it was the third time calling of the day, he figured he’d better respond before they sent a search party out for him. He picked up the walkie-talkie and held it to his mouth.

“This is Goliath,” he said.

The woman sounded relieved. _“Oh, good, you finally appeared. Normally they get there about midday of the fourth day after the truck drops them off at Needle Point. I was starting to get worried we lost another.”_

Damian didn’t know if she was joking or not. “I apologize for the delay. I ran into some interesting wildlife on my way in.”

_“No worries. I see you haven’t run into the man-eating iguanas yet.”_

Again, Damian didn’t know if she was joking or not. “There’s always tomorrow,” he said, irritation coming into his tone. Though, admittedly, it was probably caused more by his heavy eyelids than her.

The radio gave a huff of laughter. _“Relax. I’m messing with you. It’s going to be a long summer if you don’t find a sense of humor or wonder out here.”_ She paused for a moment. “ _My name is Emiko,”_ she said, “ _I’m the supervisor of a few of the towers spread throughout the area. You’re actually the closest one to me. I’m just over the hills to your right.”_

Damian glanced at the sprawling hills again. It would’ve taken maybe an hour or two to climb over them. He hasn’t sure why there were two watchtowers so close together.

_“And you are...?”_

He wanted to sigh. “Damian,” he mumbled.

_“Well alright, Damian,”_ she sounded happy, _“welcome to your first night! That trek usually decommissions people for a day or two, so it’s alright if you sleep tomorrow away, okay?”_

Damian wanted to argue against that but relented as it might’ve been pointless. “Thanks, boss,” he said.

She laughed and cut her radio off with an _“oversight out!”_

Sleep was edging ever closer to engulfing Damian. His head was aching for a pillow to lie down on. But he chose to unpack instead, placing clothes in the dresser drawers and the suitcase under the bed for extra storage of everything he was sent. There was even a mini-fridge.

He drug the desk to the opposite wall, so that way when he sat there writing or reading, he could look up and have a view of the lake and mountains at all times. He sat there now after getting everything situated, enjoying the last light of dusk, the sunset that could barely be seen over the trees. The forest’s beauty was majestic at all times, it seemed.

Damian cut the lights off and just as he was planning on collapsing onto the bed as the final bits of the sunset faded, there was a movement down in the plains. Coming up from the dip that leads to the valley of the lake was a stunning, gigantic bear.

Damian immediately felt wide awake and alert. He stood still in the darkness of his room. It had been ages since he was this close to a deadly creature this large, though it was still probably forty yards away. The great bear cantered closer before turning and making its way into the trees in front of Damian’s watchtower. It appeared to be walking with a great limp, on the verge of dropping so hard every time it stepped that Damian was sure it was soon to collapse. He watched it disappear into the darkness that sundered the trees.

Damian hesitated. Should he radio this in? Would there be anything they could even do? The bear was massive but looked on the verge of death. He didn’t know. And then he saw something that made him lose all concentration.

There was someone quickly chasing after it. He saw a cloaked figure running behind the bear with no flashlight, despite the only light coming from the moon and stars. They ran into the woods where the bear disappeared to fearlessly.

It took a moment for Damian to gather his thoughts. He didn’t know if that was another lookout or not, but whoever they were may need help. Damian grabbed his katana and a flashlight and bolted out of the tower, down the stairs on onto the plains. He turned the flashlight on but kept it pointed directly in front of him so he could watch where he was going. Nearing the woods now, he slowed down. There was a faint, purple-blueish glow emitting from the depths of the darkness.

Damian cut the light and moved in even slower. He concealed himself behind the first tree, peeking around the corner, sword at the ready.

The bear launched itself like a bullet out of a gun from the shadows. Damian narrowly avoided the massive beast, throwing himself against the tree for cover. But as he kept his senses, he realized the bear had made no attempt for him at all. Instead, it seemed to be happily playing in the tall grass, youthful and energetic as could be, no hint of an injury about it. Damian watched it for a moment longer, feeling a little joy at the sight himself, before hearing a crack in the darkness behind him.

He whipped around, shinning his flashlight into the spot where the bear came from, catching the hem of a purple cloak vanishing behind a tree like a hunter caught and retreating.

A violent chill went down Damian’s spine. Someone else was out here, meters away from him, and did not want to be seen. What’s more, he was sure if he approached them, they would be able to outmaneuver him in the darkness.

The bear was now at a safe distance away. Damian rushed for the safety of his tower, constantly throwing a glance over his shoulder to keep a watch on that spot of the woods. All the while as he made his way across the meadow and up the stairs, he could not shake the feeling he was now being watched…

** DAY 2 **

****

****

The next morning came with a racket of the birds, twenty different kinds all singing their own songs. Damian wasn’t sure if he’d get used to that, but the first thoughts the moment he awoke was the previous night.

He wanted to examine the scene the moment the sun was up. So he waited patiently for the sunrise to come and go, despite those moments being one of the most desired views he sought when he came here. The moment the sun was higher in the sky, he grabbed his walkie-talkie and his katana, just in case, and made his way out to the scene.

There were tracks of the bear’s massive paw left imprinted in the ground. Large droplets of blood every half foot made a perfect trail to follow into the trees to the exact spot it must’ve planted itself onto its belly. 

Damian glanced in every direction. He didn’t have that feeling that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up like last night like he was being watched, but he wasn’t going to be too careful out here. He couldn’t even assume the bear wouldn’t return here.

He gazed at the small portion of dry blood on the thick grass before walking away. Something had wounded it greatly. Or someone. Poachers, perhaps?

The day was beautiful and breezy, just as his father said it would be this time of year. He zipped up his red jacket, glancing at the glistening lake in the distance. The wind swayed the tall grass. It would’ve been a perfect day for exploring.

But Damian no longer knew at all what lay hidden in these woods. Were there people? He thought hard about what he saw last night. The hem of a purple cloak had definitely been there.

He grabs the walkie-talkie the moment he gets back into his watchtower and radios for the supervisor, Emiko.

It takes her a moment to answer. _“Hello? Goliath? Is that you?”_

Who else would it be? Damian thought.

“I’m just calling for a check-in,” he said casually at first, “I’m supposed to do that daily, right?”

_“Well, yeah, I just figured you’d take the day to catch up on rest. The last guy slept for almost twenty hours when he first got here.”_

“I don’t have that in me,” said Damian, the considered before saying, “plus, I saw a bear last night. It was right outside of my tower. Figured I should report that as you’re close by as well.”

_“Aw, man. They get so massive this time of year. It’s just far enough out of winter to where they’ve had time to bulk up again. How big was it?”_

“As large as I’ve ever seen,” said Damian, “on television or not. It ran right past me.”

_“You were down there with it?!”_

“I was exploring,” said Damian.

Emiko sounded livid. _“Yeah, that’s going to be a firm hell no from now on. You under any circumstances do not ‘explore’ at night. You had to have read that in the pamphlet before you took this job.”_

“The sunlight hadn’t faded yet,” Damian defended himself, “I could see it coming. I thought it was injured, but she turned out okay.”

Emiko groaned. _“Okay, fine, just don’t do it again. Whatever the legends say about this place, people *do* turn up missing, even lookouts. I swear this forest has twenty apex predators.”_

If only that many, Damian thought. He was on the verge of telling her about the stranger in the forest, but something held him back. The bear was definitely injured though the last Damian had seen it, was completely fine. If the person in the purple cloak had been a poacher, surely, _surely_ they would’ve finished the bear off then and there?

And how was it healed in the first place… He saw the blood himself not half an hour ago…

He tried to push it out of his mind as the day progressed. An attempt to get lost in the view was futile was his inner-eye saw nothing but purple cloaks behind dark trees.

Giving up, he decided to write the letters he promised to have initially done so yesterday. Pulling out his favorite writing pen and some college-ruled paper, Damian addressed a letter to each of his parents, Richard, and Alfred, telling them all was well and that the scenery was just as he needed. He decided to mention the bear run in his letter to Selina.

Even as he readied for bed, Damian had not once had the feeling that eyes were on him, something sinister in the darkness watching and waiting. And other than an elk, a couple of large eagles in the far off distance, and something that looked like a monkey in the trees, he saw no dangerous and deadly creatures stalking the woods near his temporary home. He tucked into bed feeling that perhaps everything was just as it should be.

** DAY 3 **

****

****

The nearby lake was crystalline sapphire waters surrounded by the bright greenery hills, and only about a three-mile walk.

Damian made his way there the next afternoon with a small bag of fruits after leaving the letters in a dropbox at the top of the hill (the same one he would get supplies from during this run of this venture). They came every couple of days to deliver food, letters, equipment, and medicine.

He had seen Emiko’s own watchtower in the short distance. It would’ve taken maybe an hour to walk to from here.

He had no desire to. The lake was much more compelling. He found a log to sit on like a park bench and rested, watching the water, enjoying the breezy day out.

_Quack._

Damian glanced in surprise to his left. There sat a full-grown white duck, just staring at him. He hadn’t even heard it approach.

They stared at each other, unblinkingly, in that way geese do, with either an air of obliviousness or intensity, no one knew.

Damian tossed it a cranberry, which it snagged in its honker before it ever touched the ground.

“You live around here?” asked Damian, throwing the creature another one. “Me too, now. Guess we’re neighbors. What should we call you? Lavender? No,” he muttered. “Teacups?” he kept on, throwing another cranberry. “No… I got it!” He said happily. “We’ll call you Ana. A girl named Ana in my old class wore a sweater once a week with a large goose on the front. You’re like a better version of her.”

He stood up and duped the rest of the dried fruits onto the ground. The goose absolutely attacked them. He watched fondly as it pecked at the dirt there as if some of the cranberries and grapes had dug their way to safety away from it.

And then Damian felt it all over again. That chilling feeling that he was being watched. He glanced at the woods and internally cursed as the trees were too clustered to make anything out. He can only tell that there are no sudden movements behind the thick oak tree trunks. No gleaming light from a rifle or blade. It really could just be an animal, inspecting him to make sure that _he_ isn’t a threat.

Though the feeling doesn’t leave him the entire way back to his tower.

** DAY 5 **

****

“Is that the last of the safety-boxes?” asked Damian.

_“Should be,”_ the radio answered back, _“they don’t really get used much, but they’re still handy for emergencies.”_

Damian glanced at the last one he’d just finished stocking, less than a third of a mile from the lake. He’d spent the entire day walking back and forth from the drop-off at the top of the hill and these safety-boxes through his area in the forest, dropping supplies like bandages, ropes, and water into them before locking them up so things like gigantic bears couldn’t get into them by accident.

Damian glanced up and saw an animal like an otter with a squirrel’s tail watching him from the branches of a nearby tree. The fauna of Azarath was different than any he’d ever seen.

** DAY 7 **

_“I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!”_

“What?” said Damian, eyebrows crinkling. Emiko had just been interrogating him about his home life to start off the day.

_Oh, please,”_ it sounded like she was smiling, _“four brothers and a sister, your name is Damian, and your first package was a cashmere sweater. You’re Damian Wayne, aren’t you? Bruce Wayne’s biological son?”_

Damian bit back a curse.

“ _What are you doing out here?”_

“I came for some peace and quiet,” he said pointedly, irritated he couldn’t escape the looming towers of Wayne Enterprises.

_“Hey, I get it, no worries,”_ radioed Emiko, _“I came out here when I graduated last year for just a little bit of an escape myself. And it gets addicting, let me tell you. I’m… I’m Emiko Queen, Oliver Queen’s little sister.”_

Damian said nothing, wondering if this was supposed to be some massive, dramatic reveal.

_“It’s just… good,”_ she decided, “ _good to know that of all places there’s someone out here who understands. Who gets it.”_

Damian severely hoped she didn’t believe that this bonded them.

“ _Okay, I’ll let you get back to your day. But, maybe, I’ll… see you at the dropbox sometime.”_

“Perhaps,” said Damian, “Goliath out.”

** DAY 9 **

****

****

The day was pretty uneventful. Damian made sure the line of trees as far as he could see were untouched and that the sky was unblemished with smoke in the distance before he made his way back down to the lake.

Ana the goose waddled over as soon as he sat down on his tree trunk. Setting down the katana, he took his bag of fruit and began sharing it with his new sitting companion.

_Quack._

“Quiet you,” Damian muttered, “or no cranberries.”

The goose stayed silent, patiently waiting. He tossed her a fruit.

People in the inner city of Gotham fed geese at the park bread all of the time. It’s ignorant, Damian knew. Bread was bad for geese. It could grow mold quickly and cause them to become malnourished. So he kept the bread for himself and split the dried fruits.

It’s as he begins splitting it that he gets that odd feeling that he’s being watched again. Though this time he doesn’t turn. He sits there with his goose and enjoys the view of the lake.

** DAY 15 **

****

****

****

_“Gooood morning sunshineeee!”_

Damian grimaced at his walkie-talkie. He’d been up for hours. Even without that, he didn’t appreciate the nonprofessional way Emiko had begun addressing him of late. A part of him wondered whether she was the one watching him from a distance, with a pair of binoculars or something.

He slipped off the railing outside and went back into the watchtower, finding a shirt to throw on and grabbing the walkie-talkie.

“Emiko,” he says in a clipped tone, “How is everything on your end?”

_“Oooh, I like it when you take charge.”_

Damian frowned while she laughed. _“Everything is fine, silly. Don’t forget today is drop-off day. I’ll probably be up there around noon,”_ she trailed off, leaving the suggestiveness hanging in the air.

Damian quickly planned around it.

He spent the day scouting the woods more, coming across a sort of den that he would’ve liked to explore. He wondered later if there would be perhaps an animal migration through the plains this summer.

All in all, he felt considerably happy with his escape as he made his way to the drop-off at the top of the hill, well past mid-day.

On top of supplies, his family’s first letters had arrived, along with some books from Bruce, Tim, Selina, and some from Dick and Barbara.

His father said the run-in with a bear joke was not at all funny. He’d nearly gave his stepmother a heart attack. He had to physically stop her from setting a plan in motion that would have Damian home by the end of the week. He decided to mention it in a letter back strictly to his father that it had not been a joke, but Selina need never know.

Richard and Barbara were thinking of him. Though in the midst of planning their wedding for late September, they would be there at the airport when he arrived back home and would stay with the family for a few days on his return.

Tim mainly teased Damian by using all of his belongings while he was away. Damian grit his teeth, but for no good reason, as he knew Selina and Alfred would never allow that.

Alfred told him he sent a small care package of sweets that should keep for a week or so. He also informed Damian that Jason was preparing to propose to Artemis. Despite Jason is by far the most annoying sibling of them all, Damian hoped it went well.

And Cassandra was just happy that he was happy. Though she says she missed her chess buddy. She said she was downtown a few days ago with their father at his office and can kind of understand why he took a retreat. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to study at university anyways.

Damian set their letters aside and sat at his desk, drawing the landscape in front of him, for the first time thinking more of home than the scenery.

** DAY 17 **

****

****

Damian woke up to storm clouds blocking the sunrise. He radios it into Emiko, who answered groggily and grumpy from being woken up. She says the radar she has at her lookout says the storm should last a day or so.

So in just a couple of hours, bulleting rain is lashing against his windows and the winds were howling. Lightning flickered multiple times a minute across the sky and Damian tried his hardest for those two days to focus on reading a novel while he still had light, unable to see anything in the darkness that stayed outside.

** DAY 21 **

****

****

Damian was by the lake again. Despite it being a sunny day in July, Azarath was colder this time of year, dipping into the low fifties at night now, mid-sixties during the day, and he enjoyed it. He wasn’t sure if it ever got that warm in northern Europe anyways.

He sat at his tree stump again, tossing dried fruits and nuts into the lake for Ana the goose, feeling bad as one plunked her on the head and she stared at him rather than retrieve it from the water.

“Sorry,” chuckled Damian. He drifted off, watching the cloudy sky above him and enjoying the gentle breeze.

He hadn’t noticed the loud, heavy steps until they were right upon him. His gaze came back down to Earth as the massive brown bear he saw his first night was less than ten feet from his right, facing out to the lake. It turned its head in his direction.

Damian strangely had a sense of calm. He felt no aggression from this animal as they stared at one another.

“Don’t mess with me and I won’t mess with you,” he muttered. His katana was resting against the trunk next to his knee. If the bear acted, he’d probably be able to get a precise stab into its torso.

But it was unneeded. The brown bear turned its attention to the lake again and began splashing into the water, hunting for fish. Ana the goose was long gone.

Damian watched the bear until a movement catches his eye. He flashes his gaze right above it to the woods beyond, where he sees a branch bopping with unnatural movement in this light wind…

** Day 23 **

****

****

“And you’ll want to head back south,” Damian was saying, “about ten miles in you’ll find a trail that can take you back to Needle Point.”

“South?” asked the confused camper, pointing east. It was the first time he’d come across anyone. It was a young couple, probably about Jason’s age, who must’ve taken a few wrong turns to end up this deep. The guy wore a hipster fanny pack, high-waisted jeans, and far too much cologne to go trekking in the forest. His partner looked much more like the traditional hiker, although a little sillier than most at the moment, twirling her hair as she appraised Damian, her boyfriend had the map.

Damian pointed in the correct direction. “South,” he said, trying to not show his amusement at the guy’s confusedness.

“Thank you so much,” the girl said, smiling with all of her teeth.

“Anytime,” said Damian dryly. “Just watch out on your way. There’s a massive bear around here.”

“Bear?” the guy yelped.

“It’s fine,” the girl said, “we have bear spray. Come on.”

Damian shifted from foot-to-foot. “That’s good and well, but try not to use it if you don’t have to. I’ve been right next to it. It isn’t aggressive.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Of course not. You’ve been right next to it? Wow. So you’re like, a real _grizzled_ kind of-“

“If we can go now,” her boyfriend said pointedly, frowning. “I really don’t want to run into any more of those boa constrictors.”

His girlfriend rolled her eyes. “It was a _baby_ one. Anyways, thank you for all of your help,” she said to Damian, waving goodbye. He watched them make their way off, beginning to bicker as soon as they thought he was out of ear-shot. When he reported the situation to Emiko later, she laughed hysterically.

_“That’s fucking rich! I had a couple of lost hikers myself about four, five days ago. I swear I couldn’t count on two hands the number of times they hinted they’d like to take a breather somewhere with a bed.”_

Damian didn’t see how that particularly related, but he asked, “they made you uncomfortable? Are you alright over there?”

_“Pfft. I can take care of myself just fine. Two out-of-shape forty-year-old lost hikers aren’t enough to scare me.”_

At least she was tough, Damian thought.

_“Was she pretty?”_ Emiko suddenly asked.

“Excuse me?” said Damian.

_“The girl! Was she pretty hot?”_

Damian didn’t see how that was neither-here-nor-there. “I didn’t exactly check her out,” he said. All he could recall was her brown hair she kept twirling around her finger.

Emiko sighed over the radio. _“Poor girl.”_

“She was with her boyfriend,” said Damian, confused, “they may have been lost, but I doubt she was that unhappy.”

_“Oh, baby doll,”_ said Emiko, and it sounded like she was purring, _“you have no idea the fantasies some people want fulfilled.”_

This was perhaps the most uncomfortable Damian had felt since arriving here. He didn’t know how at all to respond to that.

_“Anyway, her shot missed. Maybe the next lost hikers will get lucky. I better start making lunch. Oversight out.”_

Damian put his walkie-talkie down and walked over to the windows facing out at the lake, lost in thought.

** DAY 27 **

****

****

Damian was reading a mystery murder book that Tim sent. It featured ten different astronauts who were trying to figure out which one among them killed the poor guy in the red suit. He thought it was silly, but the read quickly became addicting a few short chapters in.

_“You ought not to stay so quiet, you know. You’ll get driven mad.”_

Damian sighed, already exhausted by her. He picked up the walkie-talkie.

“I was reading,” he said shortly, “my brother sent me a book in the care package yesterday.”

_“Oh, cool, which one?”_

Does she bother the other lookouts this much? “Timothy Drake. He’s the short one.”

_“Aw. I never read anything about him. The only brother of yours that I ever met was Richard Grayson. He was with your father when my brother invited them to the house one night to close a business deal. A fine dinner and three four-hundred-dollar bottles of wine later, your family and mine finally connected.”_

“That makes me so happy, I can’t even begin to tell you,” said Damian wearily.

_“Ha-ha-ha, alright fine, be that way. At least you haven’t been driven mad enough out here to have left sarcasm behind.”_

Damian glanced out to the scenery from his desk again. “Still no sign of fire,” he said, hoping she would catch the hint.

_“Day is still young.”_

Damian sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that week and closed his book after marking the page.

“You’re right,” he said, “I’m going to try to get some more exploring in before the daylight fades.”

_“Do you ever just stay put in that tower?”_

“If I wanted strictly a view, I would have bought a condo outside of Cobblepot Park in Gotham,” said Damian, “I enjoy the forest.”

Emiko sighed as well, obviously frustrated with something. _“Have fun then.”_ She cut off her radio without any further words.

Damian briefly considered just laying back in bed and reading some more. But as the woods to his far-left were still tempting mysteries, he grabbed a water jug, slung his katana over his back and made way out the door.

Dozens of different trees created this sort of natural arboretum. Ancient oak trees connected to colorful ones that resembled Japanese Maple trees and Pando trees. Damian wondered if there had ever been a study conducted on all the different types that grew here, but he doubted it. Azarath would surely have much more visitors. It wasn’t even in the top ten most camped at locations of the planet. Like the Amazon, there was as much mystery and danger as allure.

He crossed a stream as a large golden eagle came flying into an oak tree just before him carrying what appeared at a glance to be a small wild pig.

Damian watched as it landed in a large next thirty feet up and began tearing into its kill. Damian loved birds. He wasn’t positive why. Perhaps because they were the freest creatures on the planet. Also, condors and eagles were some of the most efficient animals alive.

He was just above to move on when he heard a thud and whipped around as fast as he could, hand on the hilt of his katana.

Nothing, other than a large leaf bouncing. By the wind? He didn’t think so… What the hell had caused that thud?

His emerald eyes glanced sideways, then up and down. He paused. Something was glistening on the forest floor.

Walking slowly forward, sword drawn, he knelt down. A perfectly circular ruby red stone was lying on the forest floor. Despite the shades from the tall trees all around it, it shone beautifully.

Damian jolted up and pointed his sword in all directions. He checked behind the trees, but no one was there. Not even a foot imprint.

“What the hell,” he muttered to himself. He knelt down again and picked the stone up. It was nearly as large as his palm.

“You don’t come naturally,” mused Damian. He pocketed the stone and made his way back to the watchtower, constantly checking his flank and six. Though no one dared to approach, he was positive this time he was being watched.

** DAY 28 **

****

****

The ruby-red stone stared back at Damian from his desk.

It was all he could think about. The stone _could’ve_ been Emiko’s and it _could_ have been her that night. She definitely has the means to afford a massive rock like this. And with how clingy she’s been over the radio, it wasn’t beyond reason that she would be keeping an eye on him.

But that just didn’t sit well with Damian. Why would she hide behind trees and help injured bears? She may be a supervisor here, but she didn’t seem to really care about the fauna nor plant-life one way or another. He crossed his arms in consideration of perhaps there really was another person out here. He placed the stone in a drawer by his bed.

_“Helllooooo.”_

Think of the devil and she shall appear, Damian thought. He picked up the radio.

“Hey.”

_“So look,”_ Emiko started off, _“I was wondering… It’s actually my birthday in a couple of days. My brother and mom sent me a bottle of wine so I could have some irresponsible fun while I’m out here. Would you care to have a drink with me?”_

Damian was caught by surprise. “I’m sixteen,” he said.

_“So? Who would have to know? We come here to get away, so we’re not scrutinized for every little misstep. Come on, take a misstep with me.”_

Damian grimaced. “Look, I-“ he stopped as there was a loud popping sound in the distance. He watched as a sparkler went skyward over by the lake and popped into purple fireworks.

“Holy shit.”

_“What? What is it?”_

“Are you not seeing this?” asked Damian. “Look north.” More sparklers went over a mile high into the sky before it exploded in purple sparks.

_“Fireworks?! Are you fucking kidding me! Why?”_

“I don’t know,” said Damian, “I’ll go down there and confiscate them.”

_“Be careful! And take your radio with you. I need to keep up with everything about this. These idiots are lofting potential fire starters into the air.”_

Damian went as fast as he could. Trekking the quickest route down that he knew. It seemed to be coming right from the lake. Though when he arrives, there’s no one to be found. No campsite, no littering. Nothing.

He radios this back to Emiko.

“ _Just head back to the watchtower. And keep your eyes open.”_

Damian agreed and put his radio out. He stared at Ana the goose who looked expectantly back at him.

“Did you see anything?” he asked boredly. He turned and made his way back up to his tower slowly, trying to sniff out any fresh trail of hikers, but coming away with nothing.

Stopping short when he looked up at this watchtower and saw the door was swung wide open.

Damian didn’t both with hesitation or playing it safe. He bolted up the stairs, sword drawn.

His room was ransacked. The drawers to the dresser were yanked open and the contents were all over the floor. His suitcase was out in the middle of the room and thrown open as well, everything inside a jumbled mess.

He had a sneaking suspicion. He glanced into the open drawer by his bed and found it empty. The stone was gone.

He alerted Emiko of the intrusion and she freaked out, saying she’d be there soon, but Damian tells her to stay put unless someone is still out there. She called it into a ranger, but it would be days until they would be there to scope the area.

“They were probably just pranksters anyway,” said Damian soothingly. “Nothing is missing.”

_“I’ve had those on other lookouts before, but they never crossed into vandalism. Just no matter what, be careful!”_

** DAY 29 **

****

****

Damian found what he said to Emiko untrue the next morning.

As he reorganized all of his belongings, Damian noticed a few things were missing. A few of the letters from his family had disappeared. A couple of books as well. Odd.

He shuffles the letters together and then goes by the date of when they were written. Nearly half are gone.

He decides to jam his chair against the doorknob to his room since there’s no lock at night from now on. It was a precaution. Though he had every reason to be, and chills _did_ keep crawling down his spine, he didn’t particularly feel unsafe. There were just things he felt like he was missing that he needed to know.

In a unique manner, he grabbed the walkie-talkie.

“Emiko?” The response was almost instant.

“ _Yup, I’m here da- Damian!”_

“I was wondering about something,” said Damian, “could you, by chance, fill me in on the lore of this place? The history of Azarath?”

_“Sure. Do you want to know some dry historical facts or the folklore?”_

“A bit of both,” replied Damian.

_“Alright! Get settled in for story night on this spooky evening. Now a good combination of both is that it is recorded when settlers tried to, well, settle here in that late 1500s, they would set camps up right outside of the forest to avoid the bears and big cats that prowled at night. But horrible things still happened at night every time they did so. Settlers would go missing. Massive fires would blaze out of nowhere. Animals would go out of their way and leave the safety of the woods to enter camps and drag people off into the night.”_

Just like what happened with his father’s company decades ago, thought Damian.

_“So Azarath was mainly left alone. Even now, this country over seven million square miles large is only inhabited by a couple of hundred-thousand people in cities right on the borders of Azarath, far away from these woods. These watchtowers are less than ten years old. Just some people wanted to ensure the safety of the forest. Nobody thought they’d be able to actually build them, but it happened without any dinks.”_

Curious. “What could you tell me about the far-fetched folk tales?” asked Damian. “Like the legends of healing and something about a temple and monks,” he said, recalling what Jason and Tim had both said at that dinner table a week before he left Gotham.

_“The temple is just a myth caused by settlers of the old days saying they heard voices from the forest at night,”_ Emiko said casually, _“some said they even saw people in white robes walking between the trees. It’s rubbish. But I have heard lots of tales of healing. I’ve even spoken to a few campers who claim it’s happened. Some right around this area as well. The guy who had this job before me had a lot of them he’d heard in three years. Stories that people with joint or back pains would camp out here and their suffering came to an end. People with lifelong diseases or illnesses were cured. I actually had a chick in my first month who was crying with happiness. She claimed she was deaf for nine years and woke up on her third morning to the sound of the birds singing. Cool, but I think she made it up.”_

“What makes you think that?” Damian wondered.

_“Oh, uh, I don’t know, it just doesn’t sound believable. Right?”_

Damian swallowed, thinking of that bear. “Right,” he said. “Look, Emiko, thank you for indulging me. It adds to the enchantment of being out here.”

_“It does?”_

“It does,” confirmed Damian, “but I probably need to get to sleep now. Goliath out.” He turned off his radio without waiting for her goodbye and walked over to the window. He stared at the dark spot in the woods that bear disappeared into his first night here and, as another chill shivered its way down his back, wondered if perhaps someone was looking back at him right now…

** DAY 35 **

It’s another food supply and letter day for Damian. As he makes it to the top of the hill and opens the drop-box, Emiko radios him.

_“I’m watching youuuu,”_ she teases. _“I like your pullover.”_

“Thank you,” replied Damian. She was making him uncomfortable again. Ever since their storytime, she’s been radioing him several times a day, being far too personal about information shared. She asked him about any flings back home or crushes. He told her of Kara, not wanting to admit he once liked the girl that seemed bound to be his future sister-in-law. She’d told him about a lesbian phase she went through in high school, not that he had asked. She revealed to him that she liked standing outside naked in the mornings for a free feeling, obviously trying to gauge a reaction.

Damian opened the box and groaned. “They left canned sausages again,” he grumbled. Damian was a vegetarian.

_“I’ll get that taken care of,”_ said Emiko. _“But I like sausage. I’ll trade you for my fruit if you walk on over here.”_

“No, that’s alright,” said Damian quickly, sensing danger, “you need a bit of a balanced diet out here.”

Back in his watchtower, he read the letters sent. Jason finally had written. He wondered how masturbating three times a day was going. Damian just rolled his eyes at that, then stilled at the bottom of the letter.

_P.S- I’m engaged now_.

Damian smiled as he read on to the others, laughing out loud as Grayson wrote that Jason dropped the ring when he got down on one knee. Richard also wanted to know how his days were going and if he practicing with that sword any.

Selina and his father worry about the tropical storm they had heard pass over Azarath not long ago. Alfred wants to know if he’s taken to eating meat again, making kills with his katana, and roasting the carcasses over open flames.

It’s a nice family talk with nobody talking. And as Damian writes back, he feels eyes on him all over again but doesn’t look up from his desk, happily addressing his eldest brother first.

If he had looked up, he would have seen them then. Just in front of the trees enough to be caught in the moonlight, patiently gazing at the boy with his emerald eyes cast down, perhaps even wanting to be seen…

** DAY 41 **

_“Emiko to Goliath, hellooo?”_

Damian ignored her attempted conversation starters. They had gotten to an unbearable point. Two days ago, Emiko, saying that Damian was in the wrong for wishing her happy birthday and the incorrect date, demanded he go over there and make it up to her.

He couldn’t even remember how he wiggled his way out of that one. But he was fed up with narrowly avoiding her. A tipping point was coming, and it was sure to make the rest of his stay here difficult.

Damian stretched out on his bed further, relaxing with his feet up as he read a new book Cassandra had sent. An amusing tale about some “Dark Wanderer” who stalked Gotham at night for criminals to do the job the police couldn’t.

As if, Damian smiled to himself.

That’s when he heard it.

A gunshot clear as day on that cloudless morning. He jolted up, watching a flock of birds leave the lake area in a panic.

He grabbed the radio as he threw on what he needed. “I’m checking it out!”

_“BE CAREFUL!”_

He had no idea what he could do honestly. But it was his job to watch the forest and potential poachers had made their way to the lake right under his nose.

Sprinting down the stairs and across the plains, sword in hand, Damian used the soft grass as much as he could to mask his approach. He felt sure he could apprehend the gunmen. Would they turn their muzzles on him when he ordered them to hand over their weapons? He couldn’t risk that. He’d have to strike first, fast and hard.

Close to the lake, he found a single camo camp littered with beer cans all around it. He deduced it was newly set up from just that day. There hadn’t even been a campfire made.

He found the lake just as deserted. Not a soul in sight, but he knew someone must’ve been around there.

Damian strayed in carefully and found a long rifle laying on the ground. Damian kneels down and examines it. It was still cocked and reloaded, ready for another firing. Who would’ve just dropped it like this?

He gets up and walked closer to the water’s edge, pausing when he caught sight of a fluff of white feathers in the shallow water.

“No!” Damian yelled, running now. He bent down and hauled in Ana the goose, blood oozing out.

She was still breathing. But the water made it hard to tell where exactly the blood was coming from.

Damian glared angrily in all directions hoping to see the attacker. But still not a soul in sight. He gazed back down at Ana the goose and had a thought.

“Safety box,” he mumbled under his breath. There would be supplies he could use to fix her up maybe. He set Ana down by the tree stump he often used as a bench, hoping nothing would be able to find her in her weakened state and ran off.

Fortunately, there was one very close, not a third of a mile away. He was able to get there in under a couple of minutes, twirling the code in on the lock and springing it open.

“Bandages, pain medication,” he grumbled. That was all they had. Nothing for a stint in case the hunter hit a wing. No adrenaline needle of course. Perhaps he could wrap her and get her to swallow a few of the pain pills.

He made his way back, hurrying as fast as he could until a sight in the clearing caused him to stop dead in his tracks.

A purple cloak with the hood up was kneeling down at the exact spot Ana should be with their back to Damian.

He didn’t know what to do. Obviously, the person hadn’t seen him yet. Flashes of that first night came to his mind. The hem of a purple cloak whipping behind a tree in the dead of night. Whoever this person was, they’d obviously been aware of Damian the entire time he’d been here…

Every paranoia he’d had over the last month and a half had become true. He watched the figure with bated breath. A moment later, the back straightened and Ana the goose was flapping her wings jubilantly, free of blood and pain. The figure stood, and it and Damian both watched the goose fly away.

The figure in the cloak made to step away and Damian figured it was now or never.

“Hey!” he shouted, already starting to jog.

The figure was practically startled out of its skin. They turned towards Damian, arms wide, as if they were a crook caught in a spotlight. Though the good was low, the mysterious stranger was unmistakably female. The cloak wrapped around under shoulders and went all the way to her ankles, she wore a sort of corset of the same shade underneath, and her legs were completely exposed, only a sheer stocking-like cover over them. Damian faltered his steps at first look of her. Her jaw was dropped open and eyes widened in frantic surprise. When she turned to make a dash for it, Damian quickly regained his composure.

“You!” he shouted again. “Stop!”

She led a chase into the woods, throwing distressed glances over her shoulder. She was moving, but Damian was very fast and gaining on her. A part of him wanted to yell out to her to watch where she was going and that there was a bear in this area, but of course she already knew.

“Stop,” Damian tried again, “I just want to ask you some questions!”

She threw another glance over her shoulders only to see him gaining on her. Her panic-stricken state of mind caused a misstep as before she turned her head back forward, the girl’s foot caught in a tree root and she fell to the ground, ankle definitely twisted.

“Shit,” said Damian as he finally caught up to her. She was laying on the leafy forest floor, not looking up and reaching for her ankle. “Are you okay?”

She spared him a mean glance. Though, despite the expression, Damian felt amazed. Her eyes were nearly the exact same shade as the cloak and corset she wore, shining like gems.

“There was no need to run,” Damian tried defending his chasing her, “I only needed to ask you a few questions. And I’m sure you know about what.”

Her eyes went to the left and right of him, as if searching for an animal to help her out. They came back to Damian, looking disappointed. “What do you want?” she muttered. She had a deep monotone, but still somehow lovely sort of voice.

“Well, first off, are you o-“ he stopped as he recognized something on her apparel. A circular red stone that held the front of her cloak together. “It _was_ you!” he said. “The stone was yours. You broke into my watchtower!”

“You stole from me,” she tried accusing.

“I didn’t exactly find an owner anywhere in sight,” said Damian, agitated. “Why have you been hiding from me this entire time? Who are you?”

“I never hide,” the girl said, her eyes narrowing.

“Let’s pretend for a second like that’s true and your cloak hasn’t been giving you away as you disappear behind trees,” said Damian dryly. The girl looked move venomous now more than ever. “Why didn’t you just come to my tower and ask for it back when you realized I had it? I would’ve given it to you.”

The girl clicked her tongue impatiently. “It’s a valuable stone in your world. You wouldn’t have.”

“Money doesn’t mean anything to me,” Damian told her, “My name is Damian Wayne.” He stared at her. She had about as little response to that as had had to learning Emiko was a Queen.

“You don’t even know who the Wayne’s are, do you..?”

“Surnames prove nothing,” said Raven, trying to cover her tracks.

“Well, you’re right about that at least,” said Damian. He glanced at her ankle. “That is definitely twisted. I have some medical supplies nearby.”

“ _No,”_ the girl said, “I have a camp. I have some there.”

“Okay,” said Damian, playing along, “where’s your camp at? I’ll help you back there as your ankle is twisted.”

“It’s too far out of your zone,” she said hastily, “on the other side of the mountain.”

Damian sighed. She must not get caught often. “Really? You made camp _fifty miles_ away?”

The girl glanced at the ground, her teeth grinding in a snarl.

Damian studied her for a moment before offering her his hand. “Just let me help you.”

She stared at it a moment. Her eyes narrowed as she placed her hand on his and he pulled her up.

“You don’t have to do this,” she said as he wrapped her arm around his shoulders. Her bare arms were slender, but toned with muscle. Her hands were gloved in purple as well.

He ignored her statement. “So what do we call you?”

“We?” There was a strong panic in her voice.

“Poor choice of words,” said Damian, “it’s just me out here.”

The girl was silent for a moment. “You’re not going to contact that, that _girl_ and tell her you’ve found me?”

“No need,” said Damian easily, “I report to her about fires.”

“You two talk all the time. It has to be about more than non-existing flames.”

Damian glanced sideways at her and nearly blushed. Their faces were very close together like this, something she seemed to have just now noticed as well. Her amethyst eyes were startled before they both looked away.

He didn’t comment on the matter. It took him some moments to pull his concentration together and steady his breathing. He felt very aware now of how her skin was laid of his, how her arm was around his neck. He noticed with a shock that he could smell her. It was like a myriad scent of blackcurrant and apricot. She smelled like a blossoming flower field.

“Not too much farther,” muttered Damian, knowing red was in his cheeks. He didn’t dare glance at her.

He could have taken her to a safety box. They held all the supplies he would have at the watchtower. But he needed more time. So they crossed into the plains outside of the tower.

“Oh good,” he said, “the bear’s not around.”

“You already know you need not fear it,” the girl said under her breath.

“Oh, I know,” said Damian, “I could just drop you and make a run for it.”

She scoffed. A noise like amusement trying to quickly hide behind false irritation. The stairs weren’t nearly as difficult as he would’ve thought. The girl had a lot of strength in her and they made it up nearly as fast as if Damian had walked them himself.

Her grip tightened enough to almost be painful as he tried to lay her across his bed.

“What in the hell do you think you are doing?” she snarled.

“Perhaps you missed the part in med-school where you should elevate a twisted ankle?” said Damian.

“If you try anything, I swear I will disembowel you.”

“I believe you,” muttered Damian, “but I won’t be joining you.” She still remained difficult to situate. “Oh, will you _just-“_

“Fine!” she snapped. She allowed herself to be seated on Damian’s bed and watched warily as he made his way across the room to sit on the chair at his desk. They stared at each other, with her glaring and he in curiosity. His eyes landed on her red stone.

“It took me forever to get everything reorganized after you looked for that,” he said, not really sure where he was going with it.

“My heart _bleeds_ for you,” said the girl.

Damian almost smiled. But another thought struck his mind. “The poacher, or hunter, whoever it was with the rifle, did you see him?”

The girl kept an even face. “No,” she said, “he was long gone by the time I arrived.”

Damian studied her. He _felt_ like she was telling the truth, however unlikely it sounded.

“I thought you were going to help me with my ankle, not interrogate me?” asked the girl, aggravated.

“Let’s speak plainly,” Damian leaned forward, “I know you can heal yourself. You did it to that bear my first night here. Ana was shot and you healed her.”

The girl was staring at Damian like he was an alien. “Ana?”

“The goose,” said Damian, unflustered, “down by the lake. I named her. I feed her all the time.”

It looked to Damian like she almost smiled. Then her face went deadly serious. “If you were fond of her, why did you leave immediately?”

“I went to get supplies from the safety-box,” Damian argued. “But when I came back, there wasn’t a need. You’d already done… whatever it is you actually do.”

“So that’s why you brought me back up here?” she asked. “To study me like a freak?”

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re the eighth wonder of the world,” said Damian, “I’d never be able to figure you out. I’m just… curious.” He cocked his eyebrow. “Can you blame me?”

They studied each other for a long beat. Then, slowly, the girl moved her hands to her ankle and Damian watched in utter amazement as a bright purple light emitted from her fingertips and wrapped her foot. In a quick moment it was done, and she drew her hands back, more watching Damian than anything. She shifted her legs off the bed. The ankle she twisted was moving and rolling every bit as well as her other. She looked completely unbothered by it.

Damian's eyes went steadily from her ankle to her hands to her eyes, which were guarded. Damian knew he wasn’t drawing out an explanation about that particularly from them tonight.

“How long have you been out here?” he wondered.

“That’s not any of your business.”

“It is, actually,” replied Damian, “I’m the one watching out for the forest.”

Her eyes narrow. It’s easy to see that statement offends her.

“But not the only one, I’m sure,” he carries on easily. She relaxes infinitesimally. At that moment, the radio went off.

_“Goliath, are you there?! Damnit, Damian, pick up your damn radio! I can’t believe you didn’t take it with you!”_

Damian’s eyes glanced hard at the girl on his bed. “Don’t make a sound.” She didn’t respond in any way, but as she was hardly speaking at all, he figured it was safe to answer Emiko.

He grabbed the walkie-talkie. “Goliath in.”

There was a heavy, dramatic sigh. _“You’re going to make me rip my freaking hair out. What happened out there? Did you see anyone?”_

“It was one drunk bastard,” Damian responded, watching the girl watch him, “I found his camp littered with beer cans. He tried shooting at the wildlife out by the lake but missed. When I yelled for him, he dropped his rifle and ran into the woods. I chased, but lost him.”

_“Well, we weren’t asking you to go manhunter on him! Did you apprehend the rifle?”_

Damian grimaced. “Forgot all about it,” he admitted.

“ _Don’t worry about it. I’ll radio it into the rangers. We’ll get it taken care of.”_ There was a moment of pause before she added, _“You did way more than any of the lookouts would’ve done.”_

“It wasn’t much…” Damian trailed off, wondering why the girl on his bed decided now to look away.

There was a long pause. And then-

_“It still must’ve been quite the ordeal. And knowing there’s a drunk retard out there with a gun. If you… if you need some company tonight, I wouldn’t mind making the hike up to see you.”_

Damian’s face reddened. The girl’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s okay, Emiko,” he quickly responded, “I think perhaps I should just try to rest.”

_“Are you sure?”_ she pressed. _“We could- I could help you… relax.”_

“I appreciate the kind offer,” he said, and the girl gave a light _tsk,_ “but I have a feeling I’ll come crashing down soon.”

_“If you’re sure you don’t want any_ company _tonight, then fine. Maybe some other time. I’ll report this in with the details you gave me. Oversight out.”_

Damian sat the radio down, feeling incredibly awkward. He knew he was grimacing when he glanced again at the girl, who was looking at him with an expression that did not betray any emotions of judgment.

“Your friend is nice,” she commented. “That’s a long way to walk to give you a shoulder to lean on.”

It was Damian’s turn to look away, eyes narrowed. “Let us never speak of this random occurrence again.”

“You’re saying that she’s never offered before,” said the girl, and now she sounded disbelieving, “she watches the hill between you two with binoculars sometimes, hoping you’re making your way towards her.”

That didn’t catch Damian off-guard, for he has never assumed anything of the sort, but it didn’t surprise him with all her attempted teases.

“She’s a peoples person,” said Damian, “I’m sure she gets lonely. I’m not particularly gregarious myself. It’s easy for me to call isolation bliss.”

She stared at him a moment longer before letting her eyes drop. “That makes two of us, I guess.”

Damian eyed her. “So how long have you been _alone_ out here?”

She made an irritable face his way, a snap telling him off obviously at the edge of her lips. But it was like she caught herself. She swallowed and said, “Awhile.”

Progress, thought Damian. Finally. He was just about to carry on when the girl reached her hands up and removed her hood.

Be still, my beating heart.

She was different than any girl he’d ever seen. Her pale skin was an almost poetic contrast to her dark hair that framed her face to just above shoulder length, which was tinged with purple. But still, the most magnificent aspect of her was the one he’d seen the entire time- her eyes. Unearthly amethysts.

“My name is Raven,” she said, looking shy.

“Raven,” mused Damian, taking a second, “what are you doing out here by yourself?”

She gave him a glance that told him he was pushing his luck. He tried a different question.

“How can you do what you do?”

She looked to at least consider that one, as if she _wanted_ to answer him. But instead shook her head wordlessly.

Damian wanted to sigh. He thought perhaps they were done being this evasive now that she’d healed in front of him knowingly. Another thought struck him, one that felt the most awkward to bring up still.

“Why did you steal some of my letters from home?” he asked wearily.

Now she looked like a deer caught in headlights all over again, just like when they first laid eyes on each other earlier. “Th-that’s, I mean, I wasn’t-“

“You were just curious?” Damian guessed, hoping to make this easier for her.

Raven still looked beyond embarrassed, but she nodded.

“I suppose I can get that,” he said. A sad thought struck him. “You’re out here all alone… you don’t get letters from home, do you?”

Raven looked out the window, to the sky that was getting darker. “I _am_ home,” was all she said. Her face became closed off and Damian knew she was done talking about that subject.

He glanced about his room. She’d also taken books as well. “You like to read?” he asked. The question immediately caught her attention. She was glancing back his way, an eyebrow raised like she caught the scent of something interesting. “Well,” Damian continued, “my family sends me books all of the time. Here,” he picked one up and tried handing it to her, “I only need to read them once. You can come by and grab anything you want.”

She hesitated, but then eagerly accepted it, making a small face when she saw the title.

“I believe you and I have different tastes,” she muttered. “I saw this one when I- when I came here looking for my stone. It looks… odd.”

Damian gave her that one. “My brother Tim sent it to me. He loves science fiction and mysteries. I know it sounds silly, but ‘Among Us’ really is a well-written mystery novel with suspense. You’ll like it.”

Raven nodded and cradled it, now looking around his floor for other novels he had lying around. Damian had to smile to himself. He helped her pick a few out, not at all surprised when she had a hungry look for the grimdark, romance fantasy novel Jason had sent a week ago.

“I don’t suppose you need a flashlight to read in the dark,” said Damian, looking out at the setting sun. Raven rolled her eyes.

It appeared their time had come to an end. He offered to help her carry the books, but she politely declined. He opened his door for her and she stepped out, examining the stairs rather than stepping down them as if something was on her mind.

“Why did you come out here?” she asked suddenly. Her eyes burned with intensity.

Damian looked out over the forest. “I’ve been living in the largest concrete jungle on the planet. But… I grew up in a place like this. I missed it.”

Raven nodded. “But why didn’t you go there instead? Why come here?”

He smiled sadly. “It’s a story.”

She waited. She wanted him to elaborate. This caused Damian to forge an opportunity.

“If you come back,” he hinted, “maybe I’ll tell you all about it.”

The corner of her mouth lifted. She whisked away without another word. Damian watched her go half of the stairs before returning back inside. He went to stand by his desk, intent on at least watching her until she disappeared into the forest, but when he had, she had vanished from sight completely…

** DAY 43 **

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****

Damian twirled the soup in his bowl mindlessly. Raven had enveloped his mind. As the weather nipped colder this day due to a harsher wind, he hoped she was alright.

** DAY 45 **

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****

****

“Everything should be okay,” he spoke back into his handheld radio.

_“But are_ you _okay?”_ Emiko asked. _“You’ve been like a drone these last few days. Ever since I… offered to help you relax.”_

He hadn’t thought of that at all actually. “It’s not that Emiko. I’m just distracted.”

She let a pause sit there. _“The offer is still on the table? It sounds like you need something to help liven you up. A little… companionship to help you feel more human.”_

Huh. Human. Was Raven human? He wasn’t positive really.

“Companionship sounds nice,” he muttered without thinking. Raven in his room again was on his mind. But he quickly caught his dire mistake and recovered. “But not right now,” he said quickly. “Forgive me. I’m feeling lethargic lately. Perhaps the cold weather took its toll on me more than I thought…”

** DAY 47 **

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****

****

Damian was out by the lake again, occupying the tree log. Ana the goose was drifting along peacefully, a couple of little ducklings now behind her. Damian wondered where the hell they came from. Who was the other goose?

He heard the loud thudded footsteps and didn’t have to turn to know what was approaching. The giant bear planted itself on his right. When he looked over, it turned its snout at the same time and they made eye contact.

“Where’s your friend at?” Damian muttered. The bear didn’t answer him. They instead both watched Ana the goose lead her little ducklings across the lake’s surface.

** DAY 48 **

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****

****

It was midday and cool chill in the air had Damian grabbing for his thick, woolen sweater as he left to grab the supplies, letters, and, hopefully, books.

Maybe that would draw her back, Damian thought to himself. Perhaps she was watching even as he made his way up the hill, waiting to see if he would come back down accompanied by many adventures laden in his arms.

He was in luck. On top of the food he requested, there were a few letters and five novels. He had trouble carrying them all, he swore his arms were getting stronger, but he managed his way back down to the watchtower.

Winds began howling against his windows within the hour. He had just finished sorting his groceries, now going through the titles of the novels, feeling a sort of relief when he found Jason sent another horror book about a damsel fleeing from a terrifying monster.

“ _Get everything you need?”_

Damian’s eyes flickered to the walkie-talkie. He grabbed it. “Everything I asked for and more. Thanks, Emiko.”

_“Anytime.”_

It sounded final and Damian hoped that was the end to it, but the walkie-talkie rung again.

_“I got another bottle of wine,”_ she said timidly, “ _It’s not the Screaming Eagle you missed out on, but it’s still a tasty Cabernet. I was thinking about opening it up here soon, letting it breath for a while, then walking down by the lake… Sure would like some company.”_

Damian swallowed. “Alcohol and I don’t mix,” he said.

_“That’s okay. You can watch how loose I get when alcohol mixes with_ me. _”_

Because you seem so wound up, Damian thought. “I-“ he stopped short as there was a sharp knock at the door.

_“What was that?”_

“Nothing,” Damian said quickly, daring not to believe it. He opened the door fractionally. Raven’s curious eyes were on the other side.

“I should probably use the rest of the day to respond to my family’s letters as fast as possible,” said Damian, elated and now full of energy, “there’s an urgency going on back at home. Some other time perhaps.”

_“Pfft. Perhaps. Oversight out.”_

Damian gladly cut the communication and swung the door open wide. They just stared at each other. Her hood was up and her body was nearly entirely hidden underneath her purple cloak.

“Hi,” she said.

“I was just starting to wonder when I’d see you again,” said Damian. He wondered if he fooled her.

“I had to keep an eye on the forest,” said Raven. “And… I was reading. It really makes the time go by.”

Damian studied her before nodding. He stood to the side, offering for her to come in. “It does,” he said.

Raven’s mouth hardly morphed at all. There was just a hint of the corners lifting, but it was enough to move Damian all the same.

Be still, my beating heart.

She walked in and took a lounging seat across his bed, looking around his room.

“Any more injuries to stray, helpless bears?” inquired Damian as he shut the door.

Now Raven frowned at him. “No. But there was a leopard near the mountain in need of aid. And a couple more. But they’re all fine now.”

At least she’s being more open about all of this, thought Damian. He watched as her eyes landed on the new stack of books and looked surprised.

“How often do you get this stuff in?” she asked.

“Once a week,” he told her, sitting across the room at his desk. Her eyes flickered at the space in between them. “Everyone in my family are big readers, almost all with different tastes. Alfred’s big into James Bond and books you keep around the house like ‘interior decorating’ and ‘fine foods and wine’. Tim is the scy-fy guy and Jason is into dark fantasies.”

“And your parents?”

“My father reads a lot of political and business pieces,” said Damian. He scratched the back of his head. “He’s actually been asked to run for president recently.”

Raven looked confused. “President?”

Damian stared at her, dumbfounded. She must’ve never left this forest, but he decided not to ask about that. “It’s the person who’s in charge of most of the country back home,” he informed her, “but some of them can be Neanderthals who do crooked deals with other countries for money. That’s one of the reasons they want father to run. He’s as vastly wealthy as he is intelligent.”

Raven nodded but made no other comment. “And your mother?”

Damian hesitated. “My _step-_ mother is into romance thrillers. She loves adrenaline a little too much.”

Nodding silently, it was clear she wanted him to continue on to the other parent not named, but when he didn’t, she let it drop. After a moment, she bit her lip and looked at him.

“Among Us _was_ a rather good novel,” she grudgingly admitted.

Damian smirked. “I knew you’d like it.”

“The person who it was,” she looked lost for words, “they were _so good_ at lying!”

“Scoundrels,” said Damian. Raven laughed once. Her eyes flickered to the space between them again.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve got those in over there just today. You’re welcome to whatever you like before… before you leave again.”

Raven glanced his way, but he refused to make eye contact. She would certainly see the level of effect she had on him.

“I was wondering if perhaps, I could… hang out here for a while today,” she muttered. Damian tried not to answer too quickly or enthusiastically.

“Of course you can,” he said, failing miserably. But the smile returned to Raven’s face and it was worth it. “Though I probably should answer my family’s letters back.”

Her eyebrows knitted. “ _Is_ something wrong?”

Damian shook his head. “No, not at all. But Emiko is the one who everything back passes through. She’ll know I was lying if I don’t send anything back soon.”

Raven’s eyes strayed to the books. “It’s not as though she _deserves_ any truth from you,” she said nonchalantly.

Damian tried to decipher that. “Perhaps not. But all the same. It won’t take me long. Maybe you could start on one of the books?”

Raven considered. “Okay.” She dove for the pile and in a matter of moments, she was deciding between two novels, one in each hand. The horror one from Jason or the romance set in 1800s New York from Selina. She glanced over as Damian grabbed the letter envelopes. “Which one of your family members wrote you?” she asked.

Damian shuffled through them like cards. “My father, Bruce,” he said, “Tim, surprisingly, and-“ he stopped in surprise of the final one.

“Something wrong?”

“No,” said Damian slowly, “the last one is from Stephanie.”

That caught Raven’s attention. “Stephanie? Is… that your sister?”

Damian suddenly felt like he was caught doing something he shouldn’t have. “No, she’s a friend. Tim’s girlfriend,” he said firmly, glancing quickly at her.

It didn’t appear she comprehended that. “You… got a letter from your brother’s girlfriend?” she asked. There wasn’t a hint of any interest in her voice, but her eyes were unblinkingly staring at him.

“We’ve been friends for years,” said Damian. He turned in his chair to the desk so she wouldn’t see his face, though he could still feel her eyes on his back. It was that same feeling he had every time he thought he was being watched.

Stephanie’s letter was full of well wishes. She hoped he was reveling in his escape and that it was the other world he needed out there. She wanted him to know that he was the conversation every other day at Wayne Manor and that… that she missed him. As he read that particular line, he felt that chill of Raven’s eyes on him again.

He wrote her a quick letter back, half as long as the one he received from her. Tim’s letter was interesting. Senators were now calling their father, asking him to take office. That he was everything the country needed and then some.

His father’s letter mentioned nothing of the sort. But he did say Jason got off scot-free with the whole smashing-his-helmet-into-that-bastard’s-head incident. Their lawyers cleaned it up. The reporter, though outside of the private airport, was still on Wayne grounds, where he had no right to be. Damian was sure that if Jason had realized this, the outcome would’ve been much worse.

After an hour or so, Damian set the pen down and flexed his hand. After sealing the letters back in envelopes, he turned and found Raven laying across his bed on her stomach, intently reading the horror novel Jason sent.

“I thought that perhaps you got enough spooks out in the forest at night,” said Damian, pulling her out of her realm.

“There’s nothing in that forest that could harm me,” she said confidently. She marked her place and closed the book. “I’m taking this with me, by the way,” she said, waving it, “you can have it back once I’m finished.”

Damian snorted. He was going to reply, but as she moved to sit up, her shapely legs came out over the side of his bed. His eyes ran up them to the tight wear she had on.

“Why do you wear a corset out to go hiking in the forest?” he blurted out without thinking, his face going red.

Raven looked both a little irritated and self-conscious. “It’s a _leotard,_ ” she told him.

“Right,” said Damian dryly, “how could I have been mistaken?”

She let her hood fall down and Damian could see her full exasperation. He couldn’t stop the upwards tick at his mouth though. Everything about her… felt like home.

** DAY 51 **

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****

“Honestly, it’s just surprising is all.”

Raven looked up at Damian. She was sitting at the edge of the lake with a very homemade fishing pole, waiting for a bite.

“You thought I was vegetarian?” she asked.

“Well, yeah,” said Damian, watching where her line was in the water, “you just seem like the gathering-berries, hunting-for-honey type.”

“Each of those tasks were taken care of yesterday,” replied Raven, “but the fish are delicious. You’ve not tried them?”

“I actually am vegetarian,” Damian crossed his arms, “I thought I told you that.”

“You did,” said Raven, “but you never said you’ve never _tried_ meat before.”

“There is no desire in me to do so,” said Damian, trying to resist scowling.

“Your loss,” shrugged Raven. She straightened up as the end of her line wiggled. “Oh! Here we go!” Damian watched as she fought with an unseen creature from the depths, fighting for its poor life, regretting everything. Raven eagerly pulled and the bass-like fish broke the water’s surface.

“Finally,” she smiled. Her eyes strayed in horror as Ana the goose swam quickly to the end of her line, eyes trained hard on the fish.

“No,” Raven yelled at her, “don’t you do it! Don’t you- ugh!” She wailed as Ana collapsed on her prize, ripping Raven’s meal away.

“Damn goose,” muttered Raven sadly, “I saved your life.”

Damian smiled down at her. “Have some berries and honey instead.”

“They’d taste better slathered over a cooked fish.” Raven stood up and looked at Damian. “What are you having today?”

~

“Maybe you could wash them down with this?” Damian suggested. He pulled out a sparkling water from his mini-fridge and offered it to Raven, who wasn’t too crazy about Damian’s simple diet of carrots and greens.

She eyed the bottle suspiciously.

“That’s not a soda pop, is it?” she asked.

“No, it-“ Damian paused, frowning, “how do you know what a soda pop is?”

Raven nearly flinched, her eyes going to Damian’s face then quickly away.

“I, uh…” she started, not looking anywhere near Damian, “I was caught before while helping an animal. By the person who was at your friend’s tower over the hill before her.”

Damian stilled. He hadn’t imagined she’d ever run into anyone else other than unsuspecting poachers perhaps.

“What transpired?” asked Damian. He was watching Raven intensely as she determinedly looked away.

“He… he was kind and good-natured, like you. He didn’t force me to do anything I would have regretted.”

“And he gave you soda pop,” added Damian. “You became friends.”

Raven’s eyes slid sideways back to him. “In a sense.”

Damian suddenly felt hollow, colder than the outside. “In a sense?” he asked, surprised by how steady his voice sounded.

“I just mean friends stay in contact,” said Raven, “right? I have not heard from him since he left the post. There’s… no way to reach me of course.”

Damian nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he muttered, looking down at his place. The situation was now reverse; Raven was watching him intensely and Damian was determinedly avoided eye contact.

“What was his name?” he asked politely, not really caring.

“Garfield,” she answered right away. “He came out here because he loved animals, but kept getting too close to them at night. That’s how he spotted me.”

“He came out here because he loved animals,” repeated Damian, sounding bored even to himself, “sounds like a kind of guy you’d take to.”

He knew Raven’s chin was jutted out as she stared at him, food completely forgotten. “It wasn’t- it wasn’t anything like that. He stayed here for twelve months or so. We got along. But it would never have been-“ she suddenly looked awkward, and Damian knew now that the subject must have been broached between them before the previous fire watcher had left.

“It wouldn’t have been anything like that,” finished Raven lamely, “we were just too different. Yin-and-Yang. Like siblings who butted heads a lot. He didn’t get a lot about me, nor I, him.”

Damian didn’t know how to respond to that. He didn’t know how he felt. Like he wanted to swallow down a nasty taste in his mouth. He wanted to change the subject but felt too bitter to think of anything else.

“That’s not fair,” said Raven suddenly, leaning forward. Her eyes were somewhat pleading. “I can feel what you’re feeling. Stop. Nothing came of it.”

“Nothing came of it?” Damian repeated her again. “You two- you two kissed?”

Raven jolted back as if Damian had seen something he shouldn’t have. Though her face gave away the answer, he waited for her to speak.

“It was… emotional when he was leaving. I’d never had a friend before. It was a confusing goodbye kiss, really. That’s all.” Raven’s eyes were searching Damian’s, hard.

Well, Damian felt sick. He pushed his food away and tried very hard not to look sour. He and Raven had obviously talked about nothing of the sort, were probably not anywhere near the level of friends she and this Garfield had been, her first friend. And on top of that, it was over a year or so before Damian had ever come here.

He glanced at Raven again, who was watching him apprehensively.

“What do you mean you can feel what I’m feeling?” he asked, keeping his voice even.

She stared at him, probably dumfounded in the direction this was now going. “I’m an empath,” she told him, “on top of being able to heal wounds and swallow other’s pain, I feel all the motions of those around me, people and animals alike.”

Damian had to bear that in mind from now on. “Neat,” he mumbled, not wanting to be rude. He picked his fork back up and picked at his food.

Raven was quiet. “Do you want me to go?” she asked.

“Of course not,” Damian said without hesitation. She must’ve been able to tell it was the truth, for she picked her own fork back up and speared some carrots.

“We’re having fish tomorrow,” she mumbled, and Damian couldn’t help but smile.

** DAY 55 **

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“Selina has been wonderful. I’m very, very happy to have her in my life.”

Raven looked on, studying him, wanting to know. “But your mother?” she pressed.

Damian sighed. “It’s not… actually that much of a story. My mother’s name is Talia Al Ghul. Her father was Asia’s biggest crime lord. Biggest one in the world, really, but he never took any interest out of Asia.”

“How did a lady like that meet the future president of your nation?” Raven asked, her voice now shades softer.

“He was the one leading the raids against the Al Ghuls,” said Damian, smiling without humor. “My father was traveling in Asia, getting busy with the underground and black markets to work his way up to meeting the famous Ra’s Al Ghul. He was a spy in works with the U.S and several Asian governments. A rich boy who could handle his own and wanted to get his hands dirty. So one day, he does enough. He funds one of Ra’s Al Ghul’s ships full of illegal spices and weapons, so the two meet. And his daughter, my mother, was there. The part that I _don’t_ need the details on is how well they hit it off. All I know is that they had drinks and a dinner discussing some business at a fancy restaurant overlooking Tokyo and _I_ happened. While my mother was pregnant with me, I became clear to her and my grandfather that my father was working against them. A raid happened when Bruce Wayne finally dug out the secret location of Nanda Parbat. I’m told quite a few people died that day, by my mother and her father escaped. Ra’s Al Ghul was forced to move from operation to operation, losing more and more power every time he was forced to flee. Eventually… they left me behind.”

Raven gaped. “How old were you?”

“Ten,” said Damian. “My mother and I mainly stayed with high-security detail in Tibet at a different secret location, cracked into the side of the mountain. I just woke up one day and everyone was gone. No words, no note, no anything. Nothing but a signal revealing my whereabouts to the authorities.”

“Those people didn’t punish you?”

Damian shook his head. “No. Kept me locked up for a few days, interrogating me. Even withholding food and water for a while. But eventually they gave up, gave me a DNA test, and found out who was my father. Bruce fucking Wayne.”

“And does the world know about this?”

“For the most part,” Damian answered. “They know of his deeds to bring one of the biggest crime lords in history down. They know my mother is probably that crime lord’s daughter. But who cares? I’ve never given much thought to what people think.”

Raven simply nodded slowly. “Thank you for sharing this with me,” she said.

Damian glanced at her, wondering if now would be the time to ask her. “I’m curious about your lineage as well, obviously,” he started out, “but if you’re not ready to tell, or don’t want to, you don’t have to…”

Rave dropped her eyes to the floor. When she picked them up to him again, they were as apprehensive as when she explained to him about Garfield.

“I was born here in the forests of Azarath,” she said. “My father is Trigon the Terrible.”

Damian knew the shock he felt covered his face. He felt like he misheard her. “What? I’m sorry? Trigon was your dad?”

Raven’s eyes squeezed tighter. “Trigon the Terrible _is_ my father.”

Damian stared at her, uncomprehending. “Trigon… is a legend. A myth, like an evil Hercules or Achilles. He didn’t exist.”

Raven’s eyes fell to the ground again. “How I wish that were true. But Trigon _does_ exist.” She stood up and offered Damian her hand. “Come. Please. I want to show you.”

Damian hesitated but allowed her to help him up. Her hand was fractionally colder than what it should have been. When they stood, she looked at him.

“You know I have gifts…”

“Whatever you’re going to do, let’s go,” encouraged Damian.

Raven watched him for a moment longer before lifting her hand and, out of thin air, a sort of magical portal emerged of bright light. Damian jumped back.

_“HOLY HELL!”_

“Hell is not holy,” Raven corrected him. “Come. This will take us where we need to be.”

Looking at her, Damian swallowed. “Can’t we just hike?”

Raven’s head dropped in disbelief. “I’m wearing heels. I don’t go hiking.”

Staring again at the portal in astonishment, Damian heavily sighed. He shut his eyes tight and walked forward, light enveloping him. And he continued walking until a hand grabbed his shoulder.

“Will you stop?” You’re going to hit a tree.”

Damian opened his eyes again. He was standing in the forest, but there were more than just trees and birds around him. He seemed to be standing in the middle of a decrepit, lost city. There were blocks of white marble at his feet, overgrown with weeds and tree roots. He stared open-mouthed at a large white building, a giant hole in the roof, and broken windows.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Daman said in a hushed voice, “this can’t be-“

“The lost temple of Azarath,” said Raven sadly. She was standing right next to him, staring at it. She looked down between them and grabbed his hand. “Come.”

She lead them inside. Grass was erupting from the cracks in the floor. The walls were cracked and shattered. It looked as if it had been abandoned and left to the mercy of the storms and wilds for a decade or two.

“What happened?” Damian wondered, glancing in every direction. “If the legends are true…”

“They are,” said Raven. “Well, I’m assuming you speak of the same ones Gar did. I told him the stories, but I never brought him here. He told me the Lost Temple of Azarath was a famous myth about these forests.”

Damian simply nodding, wishing for her to start. He was watching her watch him. She was watching him watch her.

Raven began the tale. “Over a thousand years ago, in a time when magic was old and dying, one of the last living sorceresses fled the tyranny of men in central Europe. Men who wanted to bind her and rape her and make her perform spells to do their bidding. Instead of retaliating with anger and force, she kept peace by fleeing several thousand miles north.

“It was there the great Lady Azar came about the grandest woods she’d ever seen, teeming with magic of its own. Without possessions and without family, she forged her way in, praying for refuge. And what she prayed for, the forest provided. She felt the animals guide her to where she needed to be. They lead her to food and water, for she was no hunter. They lead her to this exact place, an opening where a home could be built. And so, Lady Azar built.”

Raven looked graver now more than ever. “But you see, life is a circle. All energy and efforts given must be returned. As the forest offered sanctuary to her, a powerful sorceress, it needed protection of its own.

“Trigon the Terrible. He was an evil spirit that the forest whispered in fear each night. An unnatural presence. It hunted, feeding off the life force of the creatures of the forest, killing for sport. Lady Azar did what she could, but the magic could never top Trigon’s. She healed as often as she could, popping in and out of where she was needed, hoping to stave off Trigon before he could fully take an animal’s life.”

“And that’s what you’ve been doing,” whispered Damian. “The bear that night.”

Raven nodded, meeting his eyes. “You have no idea how lucky you were that night, Damian. I could feel my father’s presence hunting a newcomer. I’ve never felt him so restless and I still don’t know why. The bear just _happened_ to be in the way that night and it thwarted him.”

A chill went down Damian’s back. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. She’d never told him she’d saved _his_ life before.

She watched him anxiously again, but he just waited for her to continue.

“Over time, as Lady Azar did her noble work well, she prayed to the forest to help others in need. Those with good hearts, or hearts in need of salvation, looking for sanctuary as well to be lead to her. The forest complied. Every now and then someone would flee a tragedy and would naturally find their way into the forest. They would be under Lady Azar’s protection.

“Time passed. Lady Azar’s family grew. Some found the peace they needed and left, spreading word of Lady Azar’s great deeds and the temple, which is how the country got its name. And then eventually, my mother came.”

She glanced around the destroyed temple before she spoke again. “It was just under twenty years ago. My mother ran away from home with the first people who whispered in her ear that she shouldn’t trust systems set up by parents or governments. I understand she did stupid things. And when she didn’t want to do them anymore, the people who ‘saved’ her beat her and tried raping her as well, angry that she was done complying. She ran away from their van, and, as you probably guessed, into this forest.”

“Was the man somehow… Trigon?” asked Damian. He felt confused. “The legends say he was a demonic man that slaughtered countless in this country. But you’re saying he is a spirit.”

Raven nodded. “He’s both because he is a demon. He can enter the spiritual and reality plains. Often, when the world of men dared to come near his forests to build, he’d often take many of them during the night, bringing them into the forest and sucking their life force dry. The same happens with poachers who try to claim the lives of what Trigon believes belongs to him.” She looked wary again, and sad. “It’s what happened to that man that day. The fool who shot Ana. As I arrived, I saw my father already making away with his body. I was surprised you did not hear the screams.”

Another severe chill ran over Damian’s body. “I must’ve been too far away to hear the carry over the wind.” He thought of how this must’ve been what happened to the company that Wayne Enterprises sent. Another thought struck him.

“How on earth were the watchtowers built?”

Raven almost smiled. “Believe it or not, they were built with good, selfless intentions. Those worried about the safety of the forest went untouched. They didn’t build with bricks or machinery. They didn’t clear out trees. Those were set up with a labor of love in open places like plains or your meadow.”

Damian hmphed. His thoughts grew sadder as he reminded Raven of the story. “Your mother..?”

Raven looked sadder as well. “She ran into the forest. And while it guided her to an extent, Trigon had finally come up with a plan to stop Lady Azar from deterring him.”

“Me,” Raven said, answering Damian’s questioning look. “A half-demon, half-human child. Someone who would be accepted into Azarath without question. The extra power boost he needed. So he took the demonic, humanoid form of his and hunted and raped my mother. Lady Azar, feeling the disturbance, came, but far too late. She recovered my mother’s broken body on the forest floor and nine months later, just over eighteen years ago now, I was born.”

Raven stared at the temple’s floor in utter sadness. “Letting me live was the greatest mistake they ever made.”

Damian was just about to comment against that, but her look quelled him. “I was thirteen,” she said, “when I tried summoning more power. More than I naturally have. I wanted to _end_ him. Let the forest be free of the Trigon curse. He… he took advantage of that. The power overwhelmed my senses. I was lost in it. And he swooped in and took everything he needed to. It was only moments… but when I regained my senses, everyone in Azarath… was dead.”

Damian looked on, horrified for her. Raven’s story was far worse than he ever expected. She returned her gaze to him sadly.

“There is still great magic within this forest,” she said, “It could still protect itself. But from outsiders, from men. Not from the demon Trigon.”

“And so,” Damian carried on for her, “while he is still alive, you have a job to do. In Lady Azar’s stead.”

Raven watched the ground again. “I could leave,” she said quietly, “but what kind of a coward would that make me. My poor mother. Poor Azarath. They didn’t deserve the kind of Hell I am.”

Damian took a moment to compose himself. There wasn’t anything he could think of to say. Mere words felt meaningless. He glanced down at her hand, hanging loosely at her side, no energy in her body at all, and grabbed it. She looked down in surprise but came up with a smile. He had one for her, too.

** DAY 58 **

The storm was just arriving that night. Damian watched as the rainfall began over the trees and around his watchtower. Raven wasn’t anywhere in sight, so as he sat down at his desk chair he felt the anticipation he had flood away.

Over a soup mad with freshly-picked herbs from the forest the day prior, Raven said she wanted to bring him something to read for a change. He’d been expecting her all day, his excitement slowly draining every hour or so she still had not arrived.

Which is why it was a great surprise when a sharp knock came at his door right when the rain became its heaviest.

Damian answered it quickly, pulling the door fully open, some rainwater splashing inside. Raven, cradling something underneath her cloak with her hood up, rushed inside.

“Hi,” she said, lowering her hood.

“Did you run here through the rain?” Damian asked, snapping the door shut. The rain was positively bulleting down now, slashing against the windows.

She cocked an eyebrow his way. Her hair was barely wet, but some of it clung to the side of her face.

“I teleported,” she answered. “I was going to come right inside, but I thought that’d be rude.”

“I would never mind,” said Damian. “You’re always welcome to pop in.”

Raven looked appreciative of that. Her eyes were shinning. From underneath her cloak, she drew an old-looking, large book bound in dark brown leather with strange symbols on the front.

“This is the history of Azarath,” she spoke, “everything is in here. The eponymous heroine Lady Azar herself wrote most of the pages. Some done by others. My- my mother wrote some herself. I’ve added the last few pages… since no one else is around.” Her eyes came back to Damian, a mixture of anxious and worry. “It has never been spoken of to anyone outside of Azarath before.”

Damian stepped closer to her. Her eyes were vibrant this close. He took the arcanum novel from underneath, being gentle and careful not to drop it. Their fingers brushed together.

“Thank you for trusting me with this,” said Damian. Raven looked about to say something, but swallowed it and nodded instead. He handled it lightly, setting it down, the world’s most valuable and best-kept-secret novel. When he turned again, Raven was still watching him. They hadn’t been this close since the first night they met, when she had her arm around him, helping her walk.

Damian didn’t even hesitate. Only a couple of short weeks knowing each other, it somehow felt long over-due. Watching her eyes for permission, he tenderly placed a hand on her neck, his fingers on her delicate jaw-line, and leaned in towards her. Her lips parted slightly before they met him and she took him with an inhale, deepening that first kiss. She followed his motions for the next one and the one after that. Soon Damian’s arms were around her, pulling her as close as she could be, and hers were around his neck. He pulled away from her wet lips momentarily, causing her eyes to flutter.

“I don’t mean to-“ he started.

“ _Please more,”_ Raven said with a breath. She pulled him back in. He smiled against her lips as he held her face. She was so demure most of the time that he was surprised and pleased by her neediness now. He wasn’t aware of who was pulling who onto the bed. They landed with Damian’s back on the mattress.

Raven pulled away, straddling his waist, with a look in her eyes as if she was trying to make sure what was going on was happening. As Damian ran his hands up her thighs, she pulled her cloak over hear head and threw it onto the floor. She fiddled with a zipper on her back. It was music to Damian’s ears as he heard it run down.

“This is okay, right?” asked Raven, looking as if she needed real confirmation.

“It’s perfect,” he said. Raven made eye contact with him as her corset-leotard came off. His trailed down her perfect body. Sitting up and wrapping an arm around her, Damian met Raven’s lips again, their bare skin pressing together.

It was bliss.

** DAY 61 **

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_“Damian, I haven’t heard from you in two days. Answer or I’m calling the Rangers to investigate the area NOW!”_

He barely heard it over Rave’s gasps in his ear. They were seated at the edge of his bed, and she was clinging to him tightly, her nails undoubtedly making more claw marks on his bare back. 

“Damian,” Raven breathed as she slowed down her movements, “focus.”

He swallowed. “I really need to respond this time.”

_“Damian,”_ she growled in some irritation, “we’re in the middle of something.”

“Again and again and again,” he gave a weak smirk. It was getting late in the day and he was on the verge of collapse an hour ago. “Two seconds. I have to be responsible for a moment.”

Raven’s groan turned into a moan as he pulled out of her, kissing her quickly on the neck. Shivers ran through his body from the cold still air of his watchtower and he regretted leaving her warmth. It was so much worse on his member, also being wet. Trying to make this quick as possible, he snatched up the radio.

“Oversight, I’ve been exploring more in the past few days. Sorry for not taking my radio.”

_“You’ve been exploring? It’s almost freezing out there.”_

“My time is almost up here,” he said, trying not to think of how that statement was true, “I only have little over three weeks left. I’d like to see as much as I can. There’s a small pond hidden in a trove of trees west of me that I’m trying to get back to,” he said, hoping that the statement lingering there would help her get his point. His eyes went back to Raven, sprawled naked across his bed and watching him intently with impatience.

_“You haven’t decided if you’re coming back next summer or not?”_

“I might have found reason to return,” said Damian.

_“Oh! Okay… well, good to know. Oversight out then.”_

It was a weird dismissal, but Damian didn’t care to think on it. He let the radio fall rather than lay it back down and crossed the room swiftly, Raven matching his eagerness for more.

** DAY 62 **

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“Robin.”

Damian looked up. He and Raven were in his watchtower, fully dressed for the first time in days. She was perched on his bed, idly going through book titles as Damian was reading up on the history of Azarath.

“That would be your name here,” said Raven. “You were asking me the other day, remember?” She looked at him, eyes shinning again. There was a hint of a smile on her face.

But Damian’s own face fell. “What? Robin? Like that pathetic little bird the size of a small squirrel?” But he faltered as Raven flared. “Which has it’s own purpose in the ecosystem, I’m sure,” he recovered.

“Nice save,” grunted Raven, returning to the books.

Damian pondered that. “You said your mother’s name was Arella. Do you know what it was before she came to Azarath.”

Raven nodded. “Angela Roth.” Her eyes flickered to him. “I… I would have been Rachel.” She pulled into herself tautly. “But I like Raven.”

“So do I,” said Damian, grinning. Raven smiled. He thought of perhaps snapping the books shut and putting them away for the day, but Raven’s eyes pulled elsewhere in a confused state.

“Damian,” she said, staring to the outside with a frown, “there’s… there’s someone out there.”

Alert ran in Damian’s head. “Your father?”

“No,” said Raven firmly, “he scarcely feels human. No, there’s someone wandering around close by.”

Now Damian frowned as well. “Must be lost hikers again. I’ve only ever seen that one couple. No one comes out here this far. It’s days of journey to get back.”

He stood up, thinking of his responsibilities to aid, when the sound of his own name froze him still.

“Damian! Are you up there?”

He knew that voice very well, unfortunately. And this time it wasn’t coming from the walkie-talkie.

He and Raven both looked at one another, shocked, as they heard Emiko coming up the stairs, drawing close.

“Hide,” said Damian. Raven quickly went from frozen to affronted.

“I never hide,” she said, curling her lip, obviously deeply unimpressed with him.

“Raven, I’m not supposed to have anybody up here,” he tried explaining frantically, “this is _technically_ state property. Please, I’m not asking you to leave. Just go incognito somehow for a bit, I’ll get rid of her.”

Raven’s hands were balled in fists. He could tell the entire idea was offensive to her and when she looked around the room, Damian saw in her eyes there was an instant when she thought of just teleporting away.

“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done,” she muttered. There was a dark look on her face as her eyes found Damian again. “And this _is_ going to cost you.” With that, she dropped on the floor and easily slid underneath his bed, pulling the blanket down to cover any trace of her.

Guilt resonated in Damian. His first girl- well, if he could call her a girlfriend- having to hide because of some other persistent woman at the door. He tried to not grind his teeth when he heard Emiko’s knock.

“Damian? Hello? Are you in there?”

Before reaching for the handle, Damian took a deep breath to calm himself, then opened it.

Emiko Queen was not at all like he was expecting, if he’d given her enough thought to really be expecting anything in particular. He’d seen Oliver Queen on tv before and she looked nothing like him. Her eyes were grey, matching colors with the fashionable, thick cashmere pullover she had on, tight leather pants, and hair as dark as his, stylishly cascading down to chin-level on the right side of her face. Pink tainted her cheeks and nose from the cold and she was only a couple of inches shorter than Damian, probably Raven’s exact height.

“Well, hi,” she said, “can I come in for a second? Get out of the cold?”

Trying not to twist his mouth in displeasure knowing it would be very rude to do so otherwise, he stepped to the side, allowing her in. Emiko’s eyes scanned him repeatedly before looking around.

“Wow,” she said, “you’re a bit of a minimalist, aren’t you?”

“My interior decorator stayed in Gotham,” replied Damian, wondering why on Earth she was there. Her eyes flashed to him before looking around more.

“You have even more books than I do,” she said. “That’s a lot of reading for someone _exploring_ every second of the day.”

Damian felt no guilt at this. He was trying very hard not to glace at his bed, something Emiko did a moment later.

“Not quite as comfortable as the bearskin rug I have back at my tower, but it will do,” she said almost to herself. Her eyes went half-lidded when they went back to Damian, who stilled. There was a thud from Damian’s bed.

“What was that?” asked Emiko.

“Probably that damn squirrel storing its nuts underneath my tower again,” Damian quickly comprised, “look, Emiko, I don’t think-“

“That’s the problem right there,” asserted Emiko, turning her gaze back on him, “you’ve done _way too much_ thinking. But alone time will do that to you. It’s time for you to simply _act_.”

It would have been astounding if he could answer truthfully that acting has been what he’s been doing for the last few days nonstop. But all he could manage was a quick “wait!” as Emiko grabbed the hem of her cashmere pullover and pulled it off completely with one fluid motion in an act to seduce Damian beyond words. She stared at him boldly as she threw it carelessly to the side, standing there in the middle of his room, utterly topless. No undershirt. No bra. Just Emiko in black leather pants, the red lace of her lingerie panties underneath barely visible, and purely exposed from the waist up.

Damian could not deny he caught a full second of an eyeful before he looked away. The yoga lessons had not been a lie, it seemed. She was perfectly in shape, a slender form with the defined lines on her stomach. He had tried very hard to not look at her breasts, but failed for a transient period.

“Emiko, please cover back up,” stammered Damian. Before Raven killed them both, he mentally added.

“Do you have any idea how hard it was to get lingerie from Paris sent out here?” she asked, her voice becoming sultry. She emphasized it by tugging on the waist band of the red lace at her hip, exposing it more. “It took over a month. Only _you_ are worth that. Now come show me what I’m worth to you.”

“Emiko,” said Damian, gulping. He swore he saw a flicker of purple energy from underneath his bed. He steadied himself and looked back her way, trying to glare, but more than likely failing as at that precise moment she unbuttoned her black leather pants, revealing more red.

“It didn’t seem my hints were being evocative enough for you,” Emiko said in that sultry voice, “so when I got yours yesterday, I knew it was only a matter of time. But I just couldn’t wait anymore.”

“What hint?!” Damian asked, bewildered.

“You found a reason to return? I’m guessing it’s not because of the wildlife.”

Damian barely managed to refrain from clapping his forehead. “You must not have caught on to my misanthropic tendencies. I receded out here from Gotham for _peace_ , Emiko. I found it. I’ve never meant to lead you on.”

Emiko finally dropped the half-lidded look and removed her hands from pulling down her pants. Damian could now see more than half of her underwear. She put her hands on her hips and looked at him crossly.

“I am getting fucking naked,” she snapped, “why are you not at all turned on right now?”

“There’s already someone,” said Damian, narrowing his eyes pointedly. “There’s been someone special in my life for a long while now. If I had a desire to do this with you, you would have heard of it. I’m not cravenly on such matters.”

Emiko’s upper lip curled. “There’s someone waiting for you? Back in Gotham?”

Damian nodded, feeling no guilt whatsoever. He didn’t care what Emiko thought and Raven knew the truth. He just wished she would at least put her top back on.

“Bullshit,” Emiko called out. “I’ve read up on you. You’ve never even so much been on a date. There are news articles saying you’re afraid of coming out as a gay.”

He rolled his eyes at that one. “Regardless of whoever I love, it isn’t you. Please. I don’t mean to send you on your way with a long hike again, but I would like it if you left. I could accompany you for safety of course,” he added politely, knowing she’d refuse.

But she stood there unmoving, an expression that told Damian it was probably never when she didn’t get something she wanted. Her face relaxed after a moment and her eyes became more observing than sultry.

“So?” she shrugged. “She’s there and we’re here, all alone. No one has to know. Just _fuck me_.”

Damian nearly gagged, his jaw dropping open and this time he was sure he saw purple sparks from the corner of his eye.

“I care about her _very deeply,_ ” he said, emphasizing each word, “and no, no one has to know about this level of inappropriateness by _my boss_ if you leave _now.”_

They stood there, glaring daggers at each other for moments. Damian was wondering what she was planning in her head when she gave a haughty huff and tugged her pants back up, which had been steadily falling, and buttoned them.

“I can’t fucking believe this,” she said, bending over and grabbing her sweater. “We could have actually been having _fun_ this next month. _Anywhere, anyhow_ you wanted. But here you are being a tight-ass for someone who is probably being a slut back home.” She glowered his way and Damian just let her carry on with her obscenities, folding his hands neatly behind his back, happy she was leaving. She pulled her sweater on and looked over her shoulder as she reached for the door handle. “I’ve never been so _humiliated_ in all my life!” Her eyes narrowed. “You _will_ pay for this.”

“You speak as if your actions were something that I cared about,” said Damian calmly. With a look of pure rage, Emiko slung the door open and slammed it behind her, stomping down the stairs.

“Well that’s one problem taken care of this summer,” Damian muttered, his eyes sliding down to the blanket pushing itself out from underneath his bed. He watched as Raven came out, stood, and dusted herself off without looking his way. When she finally did, her face was almost impassive to the point Damian wasn’t really aware of what was going on in her head until she turned and made to leave toe room.

“Wait!” Damian said, grasping her hand. “Where are you going?”

“Out,” growled Raven. She wasn’t looking at him again.

“Why?” tried Damian. “She left.”

“And she’s very lucky I’m not chasing after her.”

“It was nothing. There’s nothing to really be upset about,” said Damian. His eyebrows knit together. “You do know there isn’t actually somebody waiting for me back in Gotham, right?”

Raven turned to face him with a curl in her upper lip very similar to Emiko’s. “ _That’s_ supposed to make me feel better? Over what just happened?” They stood there, Raven with one hand on the door. The other that Damian grasped had now reverted to their fingers intertwined. She glanced down at them and up again, before looking away absently.

“I can’t believe they’ve let a bitch with a bear-skin rug watch over the forest,” she muttered. Her hand tightened with Damian’s and her other fell from the door handle.

“Money commands an unfavorable wave of power,” said Damian, “but regardless, the forest has you.”

And with that, at least he finally got her to smile.

** DAY 64 **

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“You’ve found another friend?”

Damian looked up, an uptick at the corner of his mouth, to Raven who was watching him bemusedly with her arms crossed. He glanced down at the tortoise again, slowly biting the kale he was offering it.

“I think we’ll call her Mage,” he said. “She’s so tiny though. Should we take her up to the watchtower?”

Raven leaned in, inspecting their new friend. “Maybe. She is just a baby.” She peered in the direction of the forest. “What do you think?”

Damian glimpsed over at the large bear trying to snooze against the closest tree and gave a laugh.

** DAY 68 **

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“That was so good,” said Raven, her mouth puckering as she sat down a novel from Dick. “It’s surprising how enjoyable a read about other people isolating can be. But at least Sir Jonathon Lambart returned home to Martha from the Arctic.”

“That was a good one,” Damian commented, his nose buried in Azarath’s lore. Raven glanced over, surprise on her face.

“You’ve read it?” she asked. “It just got here yesterday. When did you read it?”

“Wayne Manor has five libraries,” he said, “I guess Dick sent that one not knowing I’ve already read it.”

“Five libraries,” Raven said in awe. Damian smirked at her.

“I would really like to show it to you one day…”

He saw the light in her eyes before quelling it in a moment. Damian felt horrid for even bringing it up, knowing she would never leave this place. She glanced away sadly.

“Look, I-“ he started, but stopped when Raven’s eyes went wide and she was standing in a flash, looking out of the west side windows.

“What’s wrong?” asked Damian, already getting a bad feeling that he knew.

Raven’s unique amethyst eyes infinitesimally wavered back and forth, as if searching something in the tree line in the dead of night.

“ _Father_ ,” she whispered. “I have to go.”

“I’m coming with you,” said Damian, grabbing his sword.

“Damian, no.”

“This isn’t up for discussion.”

“You’re right. Because you’re staying here.”

“No!”

“Damnit,” Raven snarled, “ _fine!_ But you stay behind me.”

“Sure thing, boss,” amended Damian. He had his sword in one hand and a flashlight in the other. Raven gave him another look before waving her hand once more, opening a circular portal made of light in the middle of the room. Damian made sure they stepped through it together so that she didn’t leave him behind.

They came upon damp earth nestled around tall, leafless trees. Wind swayed and whistled around them. Damian had no clue what part of the forest they were in.

“This way,” said Raven confidently, “keep that light on my back and not in my eyes.” She didn’t wait for an affirmative response before making headway toward her goal.

Damian trailed after her. Somehow, in all of this forest, she seemed to almost be following a narrow, winding path to her objective. Damian occasionally moved the light to the woods around them, in case any predators were near. It was much colder in this part of the woods.

“Not much further,” she said. “I can feel him stagnate. We’re getting close.”

The handle of Damian’s katana felt heavy in his hand. He tightened his grip around it, pushing for aggression. It seemed it would soon be needed.

“We’re too late,” Raven muttered to herself bitterly. Damian didn’t think it was even meant for him to hear as she began moving faster. He swore she was gliding in the air, inches off the ground. The forest was nothing more than a black blur at this pace. And then it wasn’t.

They’d come upon a clearing, perhaps twenty yards of open space all around them. Raven had stopped. Damian did so right beside her, pointing his light forward. He nearly dropped the sword and his flashlight.

Carcasses of wolves laid spread out among the grass, deep red blood coating the fur at their necks. Damian’s eyes grew wide as he saw across the clearing the last wolf being subjected to the treatment it’s pack must have got.

It stood humanoid on two feet like a man, but clearly it was not. Red skin unnatural of anything else in the forest. A black loincloth like a savage. White hair protruding from the back of its head and two horns sprouting from atop, signifying that it must have been from Hell. The creature must’ve stood at least ten feet tall. It held the massive wolf with ease, clutching it by the body and head as it clamped down on its neck.

“Father,” said Raven grimly.

It’s eyes opened at once. Four of them. A pair where human eyes were and another above them. They all found Raven at once, throwing its meal to the side. Then they found Damian, who swallowed but gripped his sword tighter.

“You’ll never touch him, you old filth,” declared Raven, a snarl on her face.

Trigon the Terrible’s expression seemed to match hers. It opened its mouth.

_“Vermin.”_

Raven was done waiting. Her hands glowed instantly with her power that she shot at Trigon. The creature dodged it and charged at them with inhuman speed, screeching all the while.

Damian had been right about before. Raven _was_ flying. She went airborne several feet and met her father halfway, clashing with him physically. It swiped at her, trying to deal a blow, while she blasted him.

“Back to Hell with you,” she yelled, nailing a blow to her father’s face, who screeched and backed away in pain, “and may Lucifer lock the gates while you burn!”

Damian entered the fray. Stomaching what may have been fear, he charged with his sword in form. As Trigon swatted at Raven in the sky, he slashed one of its legs badly.

The screech was a sound not of this world. Its blood was black. It retaliated in a swing with its massive claw of a hand that Damian narrowly avoided.

“You’re not getting away!” roared Raven. “You pay for Azarath tonight!”

Backing away, Trigon covered its face where she blasted it. Two red eyes managed to burn brighter as it glared at the pair of them.

_“What… you did… daughter…”_

Raven faltered, looking ripped apart for a moment.

Damian pointed his blade at the monster. “Come, lesser demon. Your head will look nice mounted on my wall.”

Trigon removed its hand from its face, revealing skin crawling back together, trying to reform itself, and shrieked at the pair of them, the grass between them blowing with the force. It then dashed into the forest, disappearing.

“We should go after it!” Damian said fiercely.

“No,” said Raven calmly. “Trigon has gone spirit form. I would need to be very focused to hurt him in that way and I won’t be able to do that knowing he can get to you at any second.” She looked at the carcasses of the dead wolves with a deep frown, then to Damian. “We lost tonight.”

Damian felt horrible. “I’m sorry,” he said, “if I hadn’t held you back by coming along, slowing you down, you could have saved them.”

Raven shook her head. “It’s of comfort to me that Trigon knows you can defend yourself, even better than wild, gruesome wolves such as these. Come. Let’s go back to the tower.”

Damian glanced sadly at the dead wolves as she opened a portal. Raven’s eyes were whipping around the forest until he walked through into his room, that was just as they left it.

She was silent behind him for a long minute.

“Sooo… that was my dad.”

Damian almost laughed. He turned to Raven. They both wore bittersweet smiles.

“If that thing can bleed, why hasn’t anything hurt him before?” he asked.

“Perhaps they do,” Raven weighed, “but you saw his face… reconstruct itself. He heals as well as I do. The only way to stop him is to overpower him, which nothing in that forest can do. Or, to kill him dead.”

“That was incredible, how you fought,” said Damian in admiration, “your father obviously fears you.”

The corner of Raven’s mouth ticked up. “Maybe you as well now. Trigon is an empath like me. He obviously knows you don’t fear him enough to not stick your sword down his throat.”

They smiled at each other for a moment, reveling in the fact they weren’t useless. It felt like a second set of walls of protection. Then Damian remembered something.

“What it said…”

Raven grimaced. “I’m guessing you’re not meaning when he called me a vermin?”

Damian made a face and Raven carried on. She looked sadder than he had ever yet seen her.

“When… what happened, _happened_ to Azarath… I took up the duty of Lady Azar to defend the forest from Trigon, in respect to her wishes and that the forest gave refuge all these years to outsiders. When Trigon learned the hard way that I can stand up to him, he tried putting it in my head that _I_ was the one who destroyed Azarath, that he had never been there in those short moments of destruction. He made it seem as if it was my own power, gone beyond my control, that laid waste to my home.”

“No,” said Damian quickly, “there’s no way that’s true.”

Raven shook her head. “I don’t believe it is either. I know I felt him that day. But… when I’m that close to him, he can subject my mind to the torment of it being true. It usually gives him enough time to escape.”

“Damn him,” growled Damian. Raven peeked at him sadly.

“Damian,” she spoke softly, “he-he still wants you. He may go out of his way to hunt for you while you’re here.”

“The demon wants to change up his diet?” pondered Damian, thinking he probably should have felt more afraid. But being this close to Raven, it was impossible not to feel safe.

“He obviously wants people as well as animals,” said Raven, “the stronger the spirit, the most he desires them. He was after Garfield as well, only not nearly as much.” Her eyes were apprehensive now. “If I hadn’t been watching you as often as I had, he would have gotten you in those first weeks. I battled him one night outside of your tower as you slept.”

“My guardian angel,” said Damian, grinning. Raven rolled her eyes, seeing him not shaken by the news. They were silent for a moment again.

“What are you thinking about?” asked Raven anxiously.

“Emiko,” said Damian, more to himself.

All anxiety dropped from Raven’s eyes immediately. “The fuck did you just say?” In her normal tone.

“No, not like-“ said Damian, shaking his head seriously, “I mean, I haven’t heard from her since, you know. I’ve assumed she’s still pouting and didn’t want to talk.” He looked at Raven. “If Trigon is hunting people, maybe he got the next best thing around.”

“Oh, there is no need to worry,” said Raven, frowning and folding her arms, “she’s got no spirit.”

“Raven…”

“Fine!” she growled. Throwing Damian a nasty look, she muttered, “be quiet for a minute” and closed her eyes.

She reopened them after half a minute, an eyebrow cocked. “She’s fine,” she said. “I can feel her in her tower. She’s _still_ angry.”

“Great,” said Damian dryly. “At least she’s okay.” Raven was watching him. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on,” Damian sighed, “let’s get to bed. It’s late.”

Raven seemed to agree, beginning to remove her cloak, but still casting wary glances out to the west.

** DAY 72 **

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“So we’ve named everyone else,” mused Raven.

“Yes?”

“Well, how about…”

Damian looked to where she was referring to. The giant bear that had been around the area since his first night was snoozing cozily in the tall grass, the evening light drooping ever lower. They were down by the lake again, Raven being insistent on catching and eating poor, unsuspecting fish.

“We have Mage,” said Raven, “Ana the goose. We’ve named her little ducklings Expresso and Pumpkin.”

“I still don’t see the father anywhere,” muttered Damian. It was ever a mystery.

“So why don’t we name her?” Raven asked. She turned her gaze from the grizzly to Damian. “What’s a good name for a bear?”

“ _TT,”_ Damian replied. “I don’t know, how about we stick to something short, like a nickname? How about… B?”

Raven looked at him dead-panned. “ _B_ as in _bear_?” She asked in disbelief.

“Glad we’ve got that settled,” said Damian. He turned his attention to the fish in the bucket. “What are we calling these guys?”

“Dinner,” Raven answered simply. Damian sighed. At least he tried.

** Day 75 **

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Damian made the walk up the large hill. It wasn’t his last time getting supplies, but it would be the last package from home before his departure. He took the contents from the drop-box and made the trek back home.

“What did you get?” asked Raven, breathing a sigh of relief. She had anxiety every second Damian was out of her sight now.

He unloaded the package. “A couple of books. Check this out- a scy-fy horror from Tim, that could be up your alley,” he said, handing her the novel about some astronauts on the moon finding strange life. She examined the cover with great interest. “And some letters from home.” He examined who’d written to him. Bruce and Selina, of course. There was also one from Richard, Alfred, and Stephanie again.

“She’s been writing often,” Raven noted.

“She probably feels bad from the lack of attention my brothers give me sometimes,” said Damian uneasily. “And… well, I don’t have anyone else but them. I never made any friends.”

“And it’s when you come to isolation that you actually find one,” said Raven.

“Oh, we’re just _friends,_ are we?” inquired Damian, smirking crookedly. Raven was currently only wearing her underwear and one of Damian’s t-shirts.

“I was talking about your best buddy Emiko,” she replied smoothly.

Damian snorted, not dignifying that with an answer.

** DAY 78 **

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Damian woke up to Raven feeding Mage the tortoise in the corner of the room. Odd, since he usually woke before her.

“Hey you,” he said, moving out of bed, looking for his shorts.

“Hi,” said Raven. She was wearing his clothes- a pullover and the black short he was looking for. He smiled, loving the sight. Then he noticed that a strand of hair stuck to her face. She’d been sweating.

“What’s going on?” he asked, feeling much more alert.

“My father was down by the lake in the middle of the night.”

“What?” said Damian, getting angry. “Why didn’t you wake me!”

Raven didn’t look guilty at all. “You’d just fallen asleep. You needed your rest after as much work you put in,” she smiled to herself, in her own little world thinking of last night, “besides, he was in spirit form. I needed the silence sans distractions to focus enough.”

Damian thought quick and hard before responding. “Why was he in spirit form? What can he do like that?”

“He can still drain life forces,” Raven told him matter-of-factly, “but Trigon always tries to avoid that. He doesn’t get the right _taste_ as opposed to flesh.”

“And Trigon hates to not always get what he wants,” muttered Damian. The greedy demon king of his kingdom. He watched Raven from the corner of his eyes. She was feeding Mage with a sad look on her face, which she turned to Damian.

“You’ll be leaving soon, won’t you?” she asked quietly.

He grimaced. September first, his ninetieth-day mark where his schedule was up, was just under two weeks away. How had the time gone so quick?

“I’ll miss you,” said Raven, her throat constricting, “I can’t go with you, but I want you to know that. I’ll think of you every day.”

“I know you will,” said Damian smoothly, “because you _will_ be leaving with me.”

Raven gave him a long look. “I’m staying. So long as there is a threat, I’m staying. I owe it… to everyone.”

“The forest can take care of man itself,” said Damian, shrugging. “It was doing that on its own before Lady Azar. It’ll do it on its own after.”

“I wasn’t speaking of man-“

“I know, I know,” said Damian. He stood up, still stark naked. Raven was focused enough to not let her eyes travel the length of his body. Her amethysts stayed squarely on Damian’s emeralds.

“I have a plan.”

** DAY 81 **

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“I fucking hate this, Damian.”

“Do you not trust me?”

“With my life,” Raven answered unhesitantly, “but I do not know if I trust _me_ with _yours.”_

“Raven, with you watching over me, I would walk through Hell blindfolded without any fear,” replied Damian into his walkie-talkie, hoping to soothe her anxiousness.

“I hope,” she managed back grimly, “because what we’re doing is something close to that.”

“We need silence,” he radioed back, “I guarantee even your voice spooks him off.”

And so, there was silence. All except for the wind in the dead of night. Not a soul in sight other than Damian himself. Which was all part of his plan.

If the demon wanted him, it was up to Trigon to come and claim him.

Raven had chosen the spot. A riverbed Damian had never seen before, probably many, many miles away from his watchtower, somewhere she was _just_ familiar enough with that she could teleport to on a dime.

She had stolen Emiko’s walkie-talkie an hour ago, shortly after midnight, once she fell asleep so that they could keep in contact. Raven was safely nestled far away in Watchtower Goliath still, probably clinging to the radio and trying not to destroy the room with her powers leaking out from anxiety.

Anxiety because of course, Damian was the bait.

It took days to convince her. To end the suffering of the forests Azarath. To end Trigon. To finally be rid of the burden. For Raven to finally have freedom… They just needed him to be confrontational.

And so, Raven revealed a shared weakness of her and the demons: pride.

“COME ON OUT, YOU LESSER SPAWN OF HELL!” Damian shouted with all the force of his lungs. “INSIGNIFICANT WORM! DOES HELL EVEN REALIZE YOU’VE LEFT?! TRIGON IS THE LEAST OF ALL THAT LIVES, SCARED OF A YOUNG BOY WITH A KNIFE!”

He’d been at it now for nearly twenty minutes, getting quite colorful in his insults. The demon had revealed itself to know his language. Damian just had to be the worm sitting on the water’s surface for a little bit longer, his only companions the birds of the trees, chirping tunelessly.

Until they weren’t. Damian watched as the birds rose without cause from the trees in a cloud, high into the night sky.

He felt the familiar chill again. Being watched from the shadows. Damian glanced every way, trying to get a feel where it was coming from, gripping both his sword and the walkie-talkie tightly.

“I have to wonder,” he said loudly, “if you stay in a forest because neither Hell nor man fears you. Hunting dogs and rabbits like a savage begging for scraps.” Damian smirked tauntingly. “You’re _hiding._ ”

The trick was done. Across the river, in the darkness between bushes, a pair of red eyes appeared at waist height. Damian swallowed every feeling but his readiness. The second pair appeared as a monstrous red man crawled out of the woods on all fours. He heard its bones crackle and pop as Trigon the Terrible stood tall, eyes of either hatred or hunger fixated on Damian.

Who felt the need to further taunt him.

“If you are _Terror_ incarnate, please do not lie,” he almost sang, feeling a little mad, his heart beating wildly inside of his chest, “why was your own daughter able to fuck up your eye?”

Trigon came from him in a speed blitz, running straight across the water.

Damian pressed a button on his radio. Rather than say anything at all, he just let Raven listen to the sound of her father’s screech.

Trigon had covered the space in seconds. Damian lifted his blade, preparing to swing against Trigon’s claw-like hand, when a familiar portal of light opened and a blast of energy came through it, catching Trigon on its side and rolling the demon over in a tumble.

Raven was through in a moment, throwing more bolts of power at it.

“You fall this night, father!” she screamed. Trigon bled from its side, but was not helpless, nor without tricks of its own. A stream of hellish fire came from its mouth that Raven narrowly dodged.

Damian threw the walkie-talkie at its head, getting Trigon’s attention. “Tell me monster,” he grunted positioning his blade, “are you so low on the food chain of Hell that your actions aren’t even worth being judged? You did stay away from humans, after all, being too afraid of them.”

He had hoped that not only would the insults keep Trigon in the midst of battle, but also keep his attention on Damian. It worked like a charm. Trigon moved with supernatural speeds and swiped at Damian, who slashed back with his sword sharply. Both let out cries of pain. Black blood leaked from Trigon’s massive claw, but the blow struck Damian several feet into the air, and he knew was cut badly on his good arm.

“Damian!” Raven cried. She turned her aggression on her father, hitting him with a larger blast.

“When you are put back in Hell, no one will mourn you,” she thundered. Damian looked up, holding his arm, to see the flesh on Trigon’s form slug back into place. He gritted his teeth. What the hell did they have to do?

_“Too weak, vile bird.”_

“If that’s so,” hissed Raven, “why do you always flee, coward?” She shot more energy at him.

Damian lifted his sword with his nondamaged arm. There was a flare of purple and red mixing in mid-air, causing a shockwave all around them. He saw Trigon’s face turn towards the opposite riverbank.

“No, you don’t!” cursed Damian, charging in. Trigon was a powerful entity, but it was no tactician. Its needs and impulses were too base. It either wanted to flee… or wanted Damian near it. Guessing the latter, Damian waited until he was close enough for Trigon to turn his way before throwing his sword, the blade making direct contact, stabbing into Trigon’s arm.

The creature of hell wailed again. And though Raven shot fires onto its back as well, it smacked his blade out from its skin and still managed to catapult its way towards a defenseless Damian.

Oh shit, he thought.

He slid just enough to go underneath its main tackle, which probably would have ripped Damian in two, but its foot caught him and he received another slash across the left side of his abdomen.

“No!” yelled Raven. “Damian, stay behind me!”

“Don’t let up!” Damian said, fetching his blade from the ground. “This may be our only chance!” The winds rapidly grew sharper as if Trigon was summoning a storm to aid him. Damian seethed when he saw the monster’s flesh healing. They needed the moment they planned for to come soon. They couldn’t fight all night.

Trigon shot a blast Damian’s way that he tucked into a roll to avoid. Raven sent a return fire her father’s way that hit square on the money. It roared over the loud whistle of the wind and stared at its daughter with pure hatred.

_“Fly away, little bird… you think with all your power you’ll kill me… but you’ll kill him…”_

Damian tucked around the side of their stare down, going unnoticed as Trigon focused on the much larger threat.

“You cannot fool me,” said Raven, though her eyes were straining to focus on what was before her. “I know the lies you tell. You worked through me that day to destroy a power greater than your own, lowly demon.”

_“Murderous… vulture… you will kill the boy.”_

Raven’s eyes widened. His power of deceiving had her for a moment, but it was the opening Damian needed. He was not far left of the demon, recalling the training he endured as a young boy. Perhaps his mother had been awful to him, but if it prepared him for this moment, he would be free of any grudges.

Damian threw the katana with his bad arm while the demon was distracted. It managed to fly straight despite the wind and connected with its skull.

Trigon howled in unutterable agony, concentration leaving Raven altogether as the demon looked skywards, almost unable to comprehend the blade that had entered the left side of its face and pierced straight through the back of its head. The winds stopped at once.

Raven’s focus returned to her eyes. She stared at her demon father for a moment, stunned that their plan seemed to work. Then she raised her joint fists over her head, commanding a strong burst of purple energy and flung it forward with a mighty yell.

“Begone!” she cried as the concentrated blast connected with Trigon’s head, too injured to defend himself. There was a great explosion of light and the ground itself shook. Damian ducked down, guarding his eyes and body in case of any flying projectiles and hoped Raven was doing the same. It was too bright to see anything, and nothing could be heard over Trigon’s fading wails.

Then the dust settled and the light faded. All there was in the clearing was Damian, Raven, shadows, and a twenty-foot wide crater in the ground. Damian looked around, disbelief shrouding hope. He met Raven’s wide eyes, saw the confirmation in them, shock suspending her celebration. Then like a fire lit, fierce joy sprang across her face as she dashed for Damian, throwing her arms around him, shaking with a delighted cry, the revenge of Azarath satiated at last.

** DAY 88 **

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Damian watched on as Raven knelt in front of an altar in the broken temple. She was whispering her goodbyes in prayers to the lost souls of Azarath. He held on to her bag, the collected things she’d be taking with them.

“I promise you, I will never forget our ways,” she said in a warm voice, “nor the reasons you chose this life. This won’t be the last you here from me, mother. And I _will_ see you again.” She stood and looked back at Damian. Her eyes were misty, but there was a smile on her face there for him.

“We don’t leave the tower for a couple of days,” he said, “sure you wanna make this your last stop?”

“I’ll be back,” said Raven confidently. “Someday.”

** DAY 89 **

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“Sorry again for losing the radio last week.”

“It’s fine,” said Emiko. She was standing in her doorway, not inviting him in despite the cold. Damian had walked over for the second time that week (well, she believed he did, but Raven had simply created a portal for him fifty feet away). He’d told her days ago that he dropped the walkie-talkie he had while out chasing away a bear from Ana the goose. (Not that she’d ever believe he broke it smashing it upside a demon’s head.) Raven had returned Emiko’s moments before she woke up the next morning.

“Aren’t you heading out tomorrow as well?” asked Damian.

Emiko shook her head. “I’m Oversight. I’ll go check out all of the towers after you chumps have left, make sure there are no damages, then leave in another week. I’ll have to bill you for that handheld radio. Most guys would complain about the $200 add on, but I guess the _Waynes_ can handle it.”

“Maybe we’ll upgrade your digs next year, too,” said Damian, an uptick at his mouth.

Emiko’s eyes tightened. She’d commented on how he was in a much better mood last time she saw him. Then she relaxed and shrugged. “Eh, I think I’m done coming out here. One year of it is _enough_. Time I get going with all the university nonsense.”

“Your enthusiasm for diving into higher education of your liking astounds me,” murmured Damian. Emiko laughed. Her eyes were gleaming as she nodded, biting her lip.

“Are you _sure_ you don’t wanna-“

“Yes, Emiko,” said Damian, now frowning.

She groaned. “Fine. Whatever. Thought I’d ask.”

Damian considered for a moment. He hoped Raven wasn’t secretly within earshot. He looked at Emiko. “Em, you are an _extraordinarily_ beautiful and witty woman,” he said and she perked up, “but I meant what I said back then. I was tied down before you ever stepped foot in my door.”

Emiko scowled, clearly not satisfied. “Whatever. Anyways, I’m sure I’ll see you soon enough. At your brother’s wedding,” she said in answer to Damian’s confused look. “Ollie sent me another letter a couple of weeks ago about how Selina and Dinah were getting along so well this summer over a couple of cocktail parties that she invited all of us. Maybe I’ll meet this mystery woman,” she said, smirking as if she’d just caught him in a lie.

Damian smiled right back. “I’ll be more than happy to introduce her,” he said, watching Emiko falter. He turned his shoulder. “Until later this month then, I suppose,” he began walking down the steps, waving over his shoulder without looking at her, “enjoy the hike back to civilization!”

** DAY 90 **

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“We all ready to go?” Damian called down.

Raven was situated on top of B the bear, like a rider and their horse. She was wearing more of his clothes again: a dark grey hoodie and some of his jeans, looking very excited. Damian’s backpack was slung over her shoulder, carrying the history of Azarath in it. She was holding Mage the tortoise. Ana the goose and her two ducklings were on the ground beside them.

“I still can’t believe we’re doing this,” muttered Damian under his breath, thinking of what on Earth the pilots would say when they loaded up a live bear. But he was smiling as he closed the door to Watchtower Goliath for the last time.

“I suppose we’re ready to go,” said Damian as he reached the ground with them, hauling his bags.

“And you’re sure the… plane is going to be there?” asked Raven, looking at Damian for confirmation that she got the word right.

“It will,” he smiled. Her eyes brightened.

“Let’s go then,” she smiled. She raised a hand and created a portal, one that would take them right to the edge of Azarath forest, bypassing days of hiking.

~

A kid on Christmas couldn’t compare to Raven that day. Damian easily ignored all the looks they got, hauling around this collection of wild animals, most notably one of the largest grizzlies ever seen.

Raven had never seen anything but woods and rivers and lakes. It looked like she wished she had eight more eyes with how often her head swung around as they entered the private airport, the Wayne plane already awaiting them. The man guarding the gates flinched when they saw the collection of them.

“Um, _sir-“_

Damian handed them some money. A lot of it. “Thank you for your services,” he grinned, waving the Ana the goose and her ducklings inside, followed by Raven riding B the bear.

~

Damian offered Raven some cotton candy shortly after take-off. She popped the pink fluff into her mouth and gasped.

“It disappeared!”

Damian laughed. “It does that.”

Her eyes were fixed against the window as they took off. “It’s so beautiful,” she said in a hushed, amazed tone. The ocean stretched endlessly, glistening all the while. “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”

Damian smiled Raven’s way. “Yes,” he answered softly, “I have.”

** DAY 91 **

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“Holy Moses!”

Jason jumped back, not at all expecting to have unloaded a bear. But it trotted past him peacefully, not really bothering with the rest of the family. More just wanting to find something to eat, probably.

“That’s B,” said Damian following it, “my comrade. She likes fish. The goose, too.”

His entire family stood there in wordless shock as Damian and his new group unloaded. His father, Selina, each of his brothers and their partners. Some looked horrified, even at the goose waddling past them.

“What in the actual Hell?” demanded Tim.

You don’t want to know, Damian thought.

“I told you to prep a few acres of the grounds,” he said, “I sent an email last night they let me bring back some wildlife with me.”

“Yeah,” said Jason, standing well back, “and when you mentioned a _fucking_ bear we all thought you were _fucking_ kidding!”

Damian ignored them for a moment. They and even the animals and guards in the background watched him as he turned back to the compartment door and extended his hand. A pale girl with unique amethyst eyes and gentle tones came into the doorway and took his hand. He helped her down the walkway, holding her hand still when they reached solid ground. Their eyes were on her much more than him.

Damian cleared his throat. “Everyone. This is Raven Roth.”

“Oh, fuck, he kidnapped someone,” groaned Jason, throwing his head back dramatically, “she probably doesn’t even speak our language.” Artemis slapped him hard upside the head.

“Forgive him,” grunted Bruce, glaring at his second eldest.

“Damian,” said Selina hesitantly, “not that I’m not honored to meet your friend, but… well, you didn’t exactly say anything about her or bringing someone home in any of your letters.”

Damian scratched his head as Raven glanced at him. They still held hands. He glanced back at her and hoped she recalled when he told her their family didn’t keep secrets.

He looked at his parents. “It’s a very long story.”

** DAY 92 **

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****

****

It took a majority of the day to tell them. Damian revealed everything, from the moment he arrived to the moment they departed. Raven helped fill the blanks in.

His entire family sat patiently as they started their story that early afternoon. Richard and Barbara even called off wedding planning to listen. Bruce, Selina, Alfred, his four brothers, Cassandra, Barbara, Stephanie, and Artemis all listened intently. But as they got further and further into the story, weird glances and shrewd looks became disbelieving and skeptical grimaces. Raven did something to help them believe. She stood up, front and center, and began magically floating off the ground.

Nearly everyone but Bruce, Dick, Selina, and Cassandra jumped back. Jason actually toppled out of his chair.

“This is the work of gypsies!” he declared, pointing at Raven. Damian rolled his eyes.

Selina recovered. She eyed Raven and said, “There is a place for you here, Raven. And we will all hold your secret. For life or longer.”

Damian smiled wide, matching Raven.

** Day 97 **

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****

****

It had taken a little convincing. More so of just trying to wrap her head around the fact that it could be done. But in the end, Barbara Gordon, watched anxiously by Dick and Damian, let Raven place a hand over her stomach, purple aura glowing abundantly.

It took far more effort on Raven’s part than he’d ever seen, but after several minutes, she stood up again and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“Try to rise,” she said to Barbara softly.

And Babs tried, pushing herself up. Dick was right on her in case it didn’t work and she fell. But instead, Barbara Gordon burst into tears as she stared at her own two legs underneath her, supporting her whole weight. Dick hugged her and cried as well, reaching for a surprised looking Raven and hauling her in.

** DAY 112 **

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****

****

The wedding was fantastic.

It wasn’t the private ceremony Damian now envisioned for himself, but the tumultuous applause when Richard and Barbara, standing tall, kissed after exchanging their vows. Damian looked out at the crowd. He could see his step-mother possibly heaving, being cradled by Bruce. Jim Gordon was there looking just a mess as anybody. He even saw Emiko and Oliver Queen. Their eyes met before glancing away.

On the other side of the aisle, Raven stood next to Cassandra and Stephanie as a bridesmaid. She looked deliriously happy. It was all teeth when she smiled across at Damian.

The after wedding festivities had been incredible. Jason made an absolute full of himself, making everyone laugh, even being silly enough to dramatically waltz with Bruce, who also laughed all the while, but probably more from the wine.

Barbara threw the bouquet- which Stephanie caught. It practically landed right in her hands. She glanced at it to a Tim with a very red face.

And Raven and Damian had their first dance, not knowing at all what steps they were doing. But whatever it was, they were doing them together.

** DAY 452  **

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****

It was the following year that had been Damian’s happiest. Topped off with the happiest day in his life.

It was set in a private area by the woods. She wanted to see more trees again. There was no way of making it as private as he would have liked, but that was okay. His father was the president, after all, and they demanded certain media attention.

He fidgeted nervously in his tuxedo, but forgot the rest of the world as she walked up the aisle, her arm around Bruce’s. So this was the gown she, Cassandra, and Selina had designed. She looked right out of a fable, just like she belonged.

He didn’t need to scan the crowd anymore, even though it was their party technically, he supposed. He knew who was there. Richard Grayson, and his wife Barbara, pregnant with their first child. Jason and Artemis Todd, recently back from their honeymoon. And Time Drake with his fiancé, Stephanie Brown. He denied this, but Tim was secretly a little upset that Damian and Raven beat them to the punch, Raven revealed one night.

After handing Raven off to Damian at the altar, Bruce Wayne went to sit by the First Lady, Selina Kyle. On his other side was his best friend, a reporter he greatly admired named Clark Kent, and his wife Lois Lane. Kara Danvers sat a couple of seats down, looking on with a big smile.

And there was Emiko there, somewhere, maybe even hand-in-hand with Garfield Logan, who Raven dug up. She introduced them at Jason Todd’s wedding a month ago and Damian was pleased to see by the end of the night that they really hit it off.

But all else melted when the newly licensed priest spoke those magical words.

“I do,” said Damian, staring into Raven’s eyes. She looked on the verge of laughing as he spoke them and he could hear Selina cry not too far away.

The priest spoke the next line.

“I do,” Raven said, impatience almost biting her joy.

“Then you may kiss the bride,” said Alfred Pennyworth.

And Damian pulled her in and their lips smashed. His hand was on her neck, just like the first time. Just like every time. For life or longer.


	2. Under the Red Hood (Universe 717)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took me over a week to write this one out around work. I hope you guys enjoy.

There was a groggy silence that was usually maintained at this early of an hour in the Titans Tower, so Raven wasn’t surprised to find the kitchens full of bodies and simultaneously absent of life.

Garfield, Jaime, and Conner all had their heads banged on the counter like schoolboys hoping to snooze away unnoticed in the first class of the day. Donna, trying earnestly, had her head up at least, resting on a hand propped up by her elbow, but she too had her eyes gently shut. Raven exchanged a small look with Damian, already donning his Robin attire and looking as though he’d been awake for hours. He was watching over a stainless steel kettle on the stovetop. Raven caught a whiff of the aroma.

“Matcha?” she asked, letting her hood down.

“Pennyworth swears by it,” Damian explained simply. He turned to catch her eye. “Grab us a couple of mugs?”

Raven kept her face composed as she grabbed a couple of the ceramic mugs she liked from the cupboard and pulled the honey from the pantry, feeling Conner and Donna now peeking their eyes open, watching them. Raven kept her back firmly to them as Damian lifted the kettle up and filled their mugs.

“Hopefully Starfire sees their state as anodyne,” Damian said in a very audible whisper, “and not as a revolt against early morning training.”

“They’ll come around,” reassured Raven, sipping her tea. Unexpectedly, she quite liked the bitterness of the matcha.

“Good morning everyone!” sang Kori. She was far too loud this early for Raven’s liking. Looking over her shoulder, she watched a light-hearted Starfire quickly become dejected and confused at the sight of her sleeping team.

“What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly. “Are you all not well?”

“Star,” groaned Jaime, looking up at Kori with red eyes, “it’s still dark outside.”

“Nonsense,” argued Kori. She pointed out the window. A skinny haze of pink could be made out on the far horizon, nearly over encumbered by darkness.

“We have to acclimate our bodies to be in peak form throughout all times of the day,” said Kori briskly. Raven and Damian continued to sip their tea peacefully.

“Come on guys,” said Donna somewhat reluctantly, “let’s get going. We can’t put it off any further.”

“That’s the spirit!” said Kori enthusiastically, squeezing her fists to exude power and readiness. Raven scoffed.

“Has your boyfriend made it back yet?” asked Raven, taking her eyes from Damian, who was disposing of his cup.

“No,” answered Kori, “Nightwing is still training Titans East.”

“Why does there need to be a Titans East again?” asked Conner groggily, rubbing his eyes. “The East Coast literally has everybody. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash is there, three freaking Green Lanterns.”

“He’s right!” chimed in Garfield, popping up suddenly. “We should just bring Titans East over here and make them our morning crew.”

Kori seemed to be struggling to argue with points well made, so Raven decided to intervene for her friend.

“There’s no such thing as too many heroes for everyone,” she said, “besides, we’ve got this area covered better than Superman or Batman ever could.”

She noticed Damian raise a quizzical brow, but hope he didn’t decide to interject something snarky.

“You’re right,” agreed Conner, pushing himself up with his eyes still barely open, “I’m the best. Let’s do this.”

“You’re the best at flying straight into walls and causing us property damage maybe,” Donna rolled her eyes. Conner scowled at her.

Damian took Raven’s empty mug with a soft hand, their fingers brushing together. She kept her eyes squarely down at his chest as she thanked him before whisking away quickly and throwing her hood back on to hide any blush.

~

Training hadn’t gone the smoothest for some.

Boys versus Girls never worked out well. They nearly matched Raven, Donna, and Kori in strength, but lacked team coordination. Damian and Conner worked well together as did Jaime and Gar, but as a whole they fell apart and thus could never take advantage on their three-on-four battles.

As Kori yelled for a halt, Raven and Donna dropped to the ground next to an unconscious Superboy.

“And this is the guy girls everywhere have a poster of,” said Donna skeptically.

Raven glanced up at Damian approaching.

“Reminds me of your seventeenth birthday last year,” she said, reminiscing. Though she felt him sour and aggravated with yet another defeat (Girls, 22 – Boys, 0), a crooked smirk came to his lips. Raven’s heart (though she would never admit it) sped up.

Donna snorted. “Oh, right. We go through all that trouble of finding out when his birthday is, what kind of cake he likes, if he _even does_ like cake, and throw him hat surprise party all to have H.I.V.E Five ruin it. Still, at least Conner got knocked the hell out.”

“I heard that,” mumbled Conner weakly, eyes still shut tight in pain. Donna giggled.

“That was a fine session everyone,” spirited Starfire to them all. “Garfield, your transformations have been more seamless than ever. Beetle, your sync with the Scarab has also been far more succinct. Damian, great work as usual.”

Damian took the compliment without a nod or shrug. He sheathed his blade and began walking away. Raven watched his black cape sway for a moment before receiving a nudge from Donna.

“Are you two ever going to talk about it?” she asked, smiling.

Raven’s eyes popped, but brought back her calm demeanor quickly. She knew that Donna had suspected her affections for some time now.

Gesturing wordlessly as though it were a decision she didn’t know or care to act on, Raven gave a fleeting glance Damian’s way again once Donna, smugly smirking, turned away. At the same moment she did, Damian reached the doorway to leave and looked over his shoulder, catching Raven’s eye. Surprised, as if though he’d been caught peeking himself and it wasn’t the other way around, he jolted and left at a quicker pace.

~

A cold breeze had drifted in that night when they received a distress call. Raven watched intently with her arms folded, standing next to Damian, as Kori debriefed them.

“It’s about a hundred miles off the coast,” she told them seriously, “Brother Blood has set up a secret operation disguised as an oil rig. We don’t know what they’re actually mining for, but our information tells us they’ve kidnapped a tourist boat.”

“That’s a hundred and twenty-seven lives,” further detailed Jaime, scanning over the dialogue of the radio in.

“And their safety is in our hands,” said Kori, looking fierce. “Most of us will take the jet. Keep it high in the sky, there’s plenty of cloud coverage tonight. Conner, you and I are going to lead the way out front, taking point and getting as much recon in before we engage. It’s time we bring Blood in for good. Titans, go!”

~

Damian was the only one who knew how to operate the Titan’s jet as well as Nighwing or Starfire. Raven watched over his shoulder as he flipped switches, initiated the thrusters, and activated ‘ _Stealth Mode’_.

It was a very dark night indeed. An overcast covered the sky and the cold January weather created fog off the warm water down below. Then they broke through the first clouds shortly after liftoff, unveiling an infinite amount of stars.

“This never gets old,” grinned Donna, looking up out the window. Her eyes dazzled in the starlight.

“Try to keep focused,” advised Damian. He exchanged a long look with Raven. He was always so intense for missions, no matter how routine for them it was.

_“The place is crawling with bad guys,”_ came Conner’s voice some time later. They could just hear him over the wind roaring by his communicator. _“I see the abductees. They have them huddled near the middle like a bunch of cattle.”_

“Suggested points of entry?” inquired Damian, flipping more switches.

_“North-East,”_ said Starfire’s voice, _“there’s a heavier concentration that way. They have no reason to know we’re coming. Get in fast, strike hard, disrupt everything they’re doing.”_

“Sounds like a plan to me,” said Beast Boy, looking as ready as any of them. He placed a hand on Raven’s shoulder, looking out the front with determination. She glanced at him in surprise. A flicker of irritation caused her to glance at Damian then, but he was studiously staring forward as well.

They’d come upon it. It looked like Castle Dracula in the sea, sprouting up like an evil beacon from the depths. Spotlights from the top of the outer walls were searching both the skies and waters for possible intruders at any time, but Damian kept them well enough out of sight.

“Ready to engage,” Damian communicated with Kori once they’d gotten close.

_“Alpha Strike Force ready.”_

“Oh, Conner,” Donna rolled her eyes.

_“Keep the jet active and on stand-by, Damian,”_ Kori told him, _“just in case we need a quick exit.”_

“It’ll go off without a hitch,” said Damian as he did as was instructed, “we’re the Titans.”

“You’re starting to sound like Conner,” Raven mused as he stood up. He gave her a smile and carried on, Raven keeping right at his side. Just how they normally fought.

“Remember to keep count, hermano,” grinned Jaime, suited up and looking sideways at Gar, who grinned in return.

“You act like you can touch this,” he taunted.

“You two are seriously turning this into a competition?” said Donna incredulously.

“Just keep focused,” said Damian shrewdly. They stood by at the ready near the hangar door. He pressed the red button and it dropped open, letting in the freezing winds.

_“Go!”_

Raven grabbed Damian’s hand and pulled him along. They were close enough to the top of the wall where she’d be able to let him go quickly. Donna zoomed past just as Conner made contact with several of Blood’s soldiers just down the way. The rest of the team could hear him laughing.

“Hey jackasses, over here!” Donna yelled, crashing down with a force that shook the fortress-like wall. Several guards fell to their backs. Raven launched Damian, sword out already, near the Amazonian. He landed, tucking into a roll and sprang out of it swinging. Once Beetle and Beast Boy finally joined the fray, the H.I.V.E troopers began dropping like flies.

_“Raven, if you can, get to the abductees. The sooner they know they’re safe, the better.”_

Raven casted rain of mystical bolts down upon their enemies calmly with one hand. Their blasters bounced harmlessly off of her glowing aura. She glanced towards the middle where she saw green energy bolts flying around sporadically.

_“Down three floors below, dead center,”_ came Conner’s voice in her ear.

_“Thirteen,”_ Beast Boy grunted over comms.

_“Sixteen,”_ came Jaime’s.

_“Twenty-one,”_ said Damian unexpectedly.

_“What?”_ yelped Garfield. _“You cannot be outdoing me.”_

_“You don’t even wanna hear my number, boys,”_ came Donna’s voice. Raven smiled, but drew her eyes serious again towards the middle and dove.

A battalion met her along the way as she zoomed through the corridors. She took them out as quick as possible, only taking little care as to not kill.

_“Hey guys, trot carefully into crowds,”_ said Jaime over the communicators, _“it seems they’ve got heavier artillery than usual.”_

At that very moment, the entire fortress shook with some explosion. Raven glanced up in worry, but hurried along to her goal faster. She could sense all of the fear and dread just ahead.

“It’s the witch!” one of the guards shouted as she approached. “Grab the senses destabilizer-“ but Raven blasted him against the wall before he could continue and quickly cleared out the ones he’d been with. She paused for a moment. They’d had something ready for her? If they were prepped for her, then that means…

She glanced up again in worry. Her team was now in imminent more danger. They had to get these people to safety and get out- fast.

Raven used her energy to pry open a vault like door and gasp.

It was like a cage for feral animals. Well over a hundred people, scared, abused, and bleeding. So frightened none said a word at first. Immediately in front of Raven, there was an elder Latina cradling a small child, bleeding from the side of her face.

“They said they were going to sacrifice us for Brother Blood,” a man near the front whispered tremulously. It appeared as if had a gun-shot wound to the hip. Raven could feel his life draining. “They already took some of the others…”

Raven nodded. “You’re safe now,” she told them, “no more harm will come to you.”

It looked like that statement did very little good to the bleeding man and several others around him. These people were already beaten and battered, on the verge of death. Raven gritted her teeth and opened her comms.

“Found the abductees. They were going to be sacrificed to Blood for his immortality and it seems they didn’t care who they lost along the way.”

_“Get them to Jump City Methodist,”_ ordered Starfire, grunting as she threw out another blast.

“No,” Raven answered, “if I bombard the hospital with this many bodies, they’ll never make it around to everyone in time. I have to do what I can to help now.”

_“Do what you must, Raven. But hurry! Donna is under heavy fire and we’ve lost track of Damian.”_

Raven’s heart seized for a moment. How the hell had no one mentioned that yet? She stared around at the heart civilians, trying to refocus on her task.

“Okay,” she loudly called out to them all, “everyone who is seriously hurt, come forward.”

Unfortunately, it seemed to be several dozen of them. Raven’s teeth clenched harder. She didn’t know if she could heal them all. But she had to try. Instructing the group of the badly wounded to link arms, Raven chanted her mantra.

“By the powers of Azarath, I beseech you. _Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos_!”

Audible gasps filled the room as mystical energy lit the wounded, glazing over the injured parts of their bodies. She could feel it working effectively.

And her energy rapidly draining.

Many different thoughts came to her head. A variety of backgrounds from lives she’s never known flooded her. A man cheating on his wife. A boy crying in class. A young girl running away because she was being picked on for giving another girl in class a love letter for Valentine’s. An elder man losing his mind as a small coffin lowered into the ground.

“Agh!” Raven yelled in pain once the healing had been complete, collapsing to her knees, legs as numb as could be momentarily. None came to her aid in worry. They were just happy to be better.

“Everyone hurry,” Raven groaned in a low voice. Sweat beaded down the side of her face. From the floor, she opened a portal out front of everyone, who gazed at it in wonder for a moment.

_“Hurry!”_ Raven roared.

They scrambled forward, rushing to get out of Hell. As the last person, a small girl who looked back at Raven in concern, made it through, Raven dropped her energy and felt totally and utterly depleted. She pressed her communicator.

“Abductees alive and out,” Raven muttered. She fell over, holding her hands out to catch herself. Grimacing in pain, she stared down at the floor as her sweat dripped off her skin. Out of everything going on around her, it was a miracle she could feel someone approaching. Raven glanced up as the vault door opened and revealed Robin.

“Here, let me help,” he said, taking her gently by the hand and pulling it over his shoulder. Holding her side as they began to make their way up, Raven took the moments to look sideways at his steadily focused face. It felt like she was given a free pass.

“How is everyone?” she mumbled. To her fright, Damian grimaced.

“Not well,” he admitted seriously, “Conner got hit bad. Blood has somehow been able to manufacture weapons coursing with kryptonite for his goons. He’s out cold. Starfire and Beast Boy got hit with heavy shots, they’re wounded. We got the hostages, but Blood is going to get away this day. I’m getting us out of here.”

Raven coughed, and was sure she tasted blood in her mouth. Feeling Damian’s worry now becoming a little overpowering, she glanced back at him.

“I’m strong enough to make it,” she assured him, “I just need to get back and rest.”

“Matcha tea,” Damian tried soothing her thoughts. “Wuthering Heights.”

Raven huffed a painful laugh. “You’ll read it to me as I ly in bed.” 

They walked on for a moment before Damian answered quietly.

“Whatever you want,” he said. Raven couldn’t find it in her to meet his gaze right then. The moment felt too intense. Too revealing…

Breaking their way through to the top, they still heard fighting going on. Donna was an absolute warrior, throwing half a dozen men off her at once and punching away an energy blast with her bare fist.

“We need to get in the jet!” she yelled as soon as she saw them. Then her eyes widened as she took in their state. “Raven-“

“She’s fine!” Damian yelled. “Let’s go!”

Donna stiffened and nodded. She provided them cover as Damian trudged Raven and himself over to the jet that was hovering clumsily over the edge of the wall.

“Is that Garfield driving?” Damian muttered to himself.

“Is that really what’s important right now?” Raven asked before grimacing again. Jaime was there reaching out to them with a black rope from the hangar doors.

“Take her,” yelled Damian. Raven didn’t want to let go, but he pushed her off of him, practically lifting her up for the rope. She took it and allowed herself to be hauled up.

“ _No_ ,” Raven said in a hushed voice as she entered the jet. Conner was stagnate laid out on the floor and Starfire was sitting against the wall, breathing shakily and holding her bloody side, sweating profusely.

“How the Hell were they able to prepare so well for us,” growled Jaime, as Damian climbed up the rope, “we had the drop on them!”

“Leave it for now,” Damian said, and turned, shouting, “Donna! We are _leaving!”_

Donna whirled towards them and began bulleting over just as a voice yelled, “Do not allow them to get away!”

Raven recognized the booming, commanding voice of Brother Blood. She peeked her eyes, which were shut in pain, to see Blood and his gathering forces quickly assembling with blasters pointed their way. After everyone they dropped, how did he still have this many men?

“Garfield,” commanded Damian himself, watching Wonder Girl fly closer, “on my mark, close the hangar doors.”

Beetle morphed his right arm into a canon and provided some cover fire. Robin threw out explosives that flew over Donna into the oncoming crowd of enemies.

“Now!” he shouted.

It happened in slow motion in Raven’s eyes.

She just happened to be watching Brother Blood as he pulled a blaster rifle from one of his soldiers and took steady aim. Raven was so delirious she thought she was seeing two of him.

Donna zoomed in, perfectly timed with the hangar doors starting to close as they began pulling away, Beast Boy yelling he was about to just punch the thruster because he wasn’t that sure what he was doing.

That was when it happened. Blood took steady aim, the look of a professional marksman, and fired.

Damian’s head snapped back. That was the terrifying moment for Raven, just knowing he’d been hit at all. That Damian had been harmed. The amount of blood that immediately followed stopped her heart.

His body went limp and crumpled to the floor, falling forward. Raven’s yell hadn’t even alerted the others yet, who just hadn’t noticed until it was too late. Robin, not a thing going on inside his mind that Raven could feel, perhaps stunned, and, as the jet went skywards, limply fell forward and out the hangar door before it closed shut. Raven dove forward in an insane state, failing to get to the outside. Her hands landed on the cold metal.

“Garfield!” Donna screamed. “ _Stop! Turn this thing around! Turn it around!”_

“I don’t know how to!” Beast Boy yelled back. “There’s a battalion back there! What happened?”

_“DAMIAN!”_

“I don’t know how- what do I do?!”

Raven jolted forward as the thrusters kicked into higher gear, zooming miles by every few seconds. Emptiness screamed inside of her as everyone screamed at one another. She still couldn’t quite comprehend it. Shocked reined in her mind and she couldn’t find the control of her powers to do anything. Thoughtlessly, she surged forward again, perhaps going to rip the door from the hinges and fly back there. She knew he was alive, she just knew it. Before she could, Jaime’s strong arms wrapped around her.

“He’s gone,” he said in her ear, mortified, “and the rest of us will be too if we go back there. You don’t have your strength right now Rae, and he fell two hundred feet… he’s gone.”

And Raven closed her eyes, feeling water built up between their lashes, and let out a cry as every bit as ugly as she had the day she lost Azarath.

~

Starfire had wrapped her torso up and wanted to jet straight back there. Donna was willing to follow in her stead. But their faces said it all.

Hopelessness was felt all across the room. And inside Raven was hollow. They stared at the floor. At the wall and at the ceiling, but never at each other. When Conner came around, he threw the living room sofa through a wall.

None of the Titans slept that night. None of them turned on the news to see the dashing headline _‘Teen Titans Rescue Leagues of Hostages Again!’_ For they just didn’t care.

They did go back. In the morning. They willed themselves to complete a recovery mission… and failed.

The Titans searched the entire area within three miles for his body, seeing Blood’s company had removed themselves from the premises. Raven hoped he’d might still be alive, camped out somewhere on the rocks, staying out of sight. But she felt his life presence nowhere near. He was gone…

The worst part was perhaps, other than Raven’s own tumultuous pain, when Starfire told Nightwing face-to-face. His jaw had dropped. His hands went through his hair. He pounded the wall so hard it cracked, anger at himself coursing every fiber of his being for not being there.

Or the worst part could have indeed been hearing Batman’s reaction. Seeing his face as Bruce Wayne, every bit as empty as the coffin they buried. For what is worse in life than having to bury your child…

Raven tore off her clothes of grieving the moment she got back to her room from Damian’s funeral and curled up on her bed over the covers. She felt as though nothing else matter but to wait, wishing the monotonously over-bearing pain would end. Knowing her heart would perhaps never stop feeling so cold…

“ _Damian_ ,” she whispered to herself, another tear of many that had come falling down her face.

~

_Three Years Later…_

Raven opened her eyes wearily to brighter light and louder noises than she was expecting. She blearily blinked out the sleepiness as she sat up in bed and looked around her apartment bedroom. Her eyes first found the light coming from the outside and realized how late she must have slept in.

“Oh, damnit,” she groaned. She wasn’t doing herself any favors by having an apartment if she couldn’t make it to Monday morning training on time.

She reached over for her cell phone charging, which had just quit dinging, knocking into her wine glass by accident. She unhooked the device and peered at it, already undoubtedly knowing who was trying to call her.

Seven missed calls. Two from Kori. Five from Garfield. Three texts. One from Kori. Two from Garfield.

_Are you well? Will you be able to make it?_ – Kori.

_Why aren’t you answering my calls tonight? What’s going on?_ – Garfield.

_Where are you?! Training is going on NOW. Come on, Rae. : (_ \- Garfield.

Raven sighed sadly to herself. She stared at the phone a moment longer… and just blacked out the screen, opting instead to roll out of bed and head for the shower. It was 10:13 already. Their eight o’clock practice ended almost a quarter of an hour ago.

So much for a strong start with the new members of the team, she thought to herself. Dropping her sleeping shorts and pulling off her shirt, she twisted the hot water handle and felt bliss at the sound of the pressure it exuded as he shower roared to life. It felt even more wonderful than it sounded. She needed this.

Another text shot to her as she brushed her teeth, but Raven didn’t check it, wanting to put it off as long as she could. She pulled on a cleaner pair of the small shorts she liked and a hoodie over her top. Her hair was still wet from the shower as she picked up around her apartment.

With a frown, she picked up an open bottle of wine from her kitchen table, one of the ones she’d got from Bruce this past Christmas. _Chateau Lynch-Bages, Fifth Growth._ It was still half full. She hadn’t drank much of it, how did she forget to cork it back up?

Her eyes sadly gazed over the label. She knew how, of course. Raven’s mind had definitely been elsewhere last night…

Gazing out of the large windows looking over the bay of Jump City from her kitchen and living room area, Raven heard the cold winds of the start of the year whistle pass with dismay.

January was an eternal black spot on the calendar for her…

Raven started as she heard a knock of her front door. Pouring out the remaining liquid, which smelled spoiled for sure, and disposing of the bottle in the trash bin first, she opened the door up and tried not to grimace.

Garfield was standing there in an orange pullover with the hoodie up over a cap keeping his green hair and face mostly covered, holding two cups of take-out coffee. He was wearing a frown.

“I know you normally prefer tea,” he said slowly, “but after the night I reckon you had, I thought coffee would be better.”

“Tea is caffeinated,” she said thoughtlessly, still standing in front of the doorway. Gar looked down, dejected. Raven shook her head, placing fingertips on her temple, upset with herself.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-“ she tried, but bit it back, going for a friendly smile as she accepted one of the cups from Beast Boy and stood to the side to let him in.

“Thank you,” she said. Garfield went for a smile as well, but Raven still felt his spirit was down. In an attempt to upheave it, she sipped from the cup enthusiastically. It was disgusting.

“I needed this,” she lied. Garfield felt slightly happier as he sat down at her table. Then he seemed to be surreptitiously glancing around for something.

“I didn’t have a crazy night,” said Raven, now not feeling as bad that she was being checked on. Whatever they were, that wasn’t up to him to do.

Garfield at least looked repentant. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. I know that…” he looked down at his own cup before he finished, “that you just wanted to be left alone.”

The silence hung heavily in the air before Garfield spoke up again.

“So what did you do?” he asked, trying for a chipper tone.

“I-“ Raven thought it through in her head before admitting, “I did have some wine last night. Watched some tv. Enjoyed the quiet. Normal stuff.” She pushed out a chair for herself and joined him. Sour mood seemingly gone, Gar happily drummed his fingers on the table.

“Catch that whale doc I told you about?” he asked, his canary yellow eyes sparkling. Raven gave in and smiled back.

“Not yet,” she told him, “but I will. I have a list on my watch-next group that I never really get time to binge through.”

“Maybe we can go through it today,” he said hopefully, leaning in, “if you don’t mind I… stay over?”

Raven did her best to look downtrodden.

“I can’t,” she said, seeping sorrow into her tone, “I told Kori I’d meet her for lunch today.”

Gar looked confused. “She didn’t say anything about meeting you at training today.”

“I imagine other things are on her mind at training, Gar,” Raven said quickly, “I was actually getting ready to go meet her now. Thank you for the coffee though. I really do appreciate you thinking of me.”

“How could I not?” wondered Garfield mystically. He laid a hand on top of Raven’s that wasn’t holding her cup. She returned his smile half-heartedly.

“I’ll get going then,” said Gar, standing up. Raven stood with him, but didn’t expect it when he came close.

“See you soon though?” he asked, some worry in his eyes as he wrapped a hand around the low of her waist.

“Definitely,” Raven answered. She met his lips when he leaned in closer for a kiss. Looking satisfied, he departed, not noticing the sadness hidden well in Raven’s eyes.

She quickly picked up her phone and texted Kori.

_So sorry I missed training, Kori. Meet me at Icharo’s for lunch? My treat._

_~_

Icharo’s was a new ramen joint downtown that Raven especially liked. The food, the aesthetic of the dark grainy wood mixed with hand drawn art from Japan’s culture, and of course Icharo himself, it was one of her usual go-to’s in Jump City now.

“My usual spicy miso,” waved down Raven as she took a seat on a stool at the counter.

“Chicken ramen for me, Icharo,” called her oldest friend’s voice. Raven looked to her left as the towering Koriand’r took a set by her and gave her a smile.

“I really am sorry for missing training this morning, Kori,” apologized Raven first, but Kori easily dismissed it with a hand.

“We had enough going on with a new Flash too eager to do everything at once and Donna’s little sister Cassandra joining the team. They won’t be debriefed for our next mission, anyhow. We’re not taking them so inexperienced.”

“We have a new task?” asked Raven as a waitress set out some cold sweetened tea in a glass for them.

“There’s been strong activity between Santa Marta and National City,” informed Kori, “even Jump City is being affected at the docks. We’re dealing with someone who seems can’t be traced unless they _want_ to be found. Mob bosses throughout the state are knuckling under him as some new tyrant. We barely even have a picture of this guy. Leather jacket, weird red helmet. But we’ll fill the team in tomorrow.”

“We’ve seen them all before,” said Raven dryly, only half paying attention now. Remembering last night, green eyes flashed in her mind’s eye again.

“That we have,” Kori remarked, “none quite had an army behind them like Blood…” Realizing what she inadvertently brought up, Kori shot a look at her friend and quickly said, “It seemed Garfield was eager to get to you after training. Did he make it to your place or get caught up feeding some ducks along the way?”

“Gar came by,” said Raven steadily, hoping her eyes gave nothing away, “he brought some coffee, we talked. It was nice.”

Kori stared into Raven’s eyes with those green globes for a moment, and then-

“ _Raven_ ,” she sighed, setting her drink back down.

“Please don’t say it,” muttered Raven, but of course, it being Kori, she said it anyways.

“I was nothing but alone when Dick and I broke it off,” she said somberly, “but I still had the responsibility to tell Jaime no when he advanced because even though I wasn’t taken, my heart was. And it isn’t fair to lead anyone on like that.”

“I like Gar,” Raven argued weakly. “He’s such a good guy. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone more pure and innocent.”

“Sunshine can’t fight an eclipse,” said Starfire sadly, twirling her drink with her straw. Raven studied her for a moment.

“I saw Dick at the Wayne Manor Christmas party,” said Raven slowly, “he and Barbara weren’t there together. I mean, they were both there, but I don’t believe they attended as a couple. She tried to corner him, but I saw him slip away and out the back.”

Starfire maneuvered her lips just enough to fight off a smile, probably trying to focus on something else in the room. But she couldn’t hide the satisfaction and small elation she felt from Raven.

“He should settle down with someone if they make him happy,” she said, twirling her drink again. Raven almost scoffed.

“Yeah,” she agreed, smiling as she thought of how bubbly they were together, “he should.”

“How was Bruce?” asked Kori, her voice in a much more pleasant tone.

“Well,” answered Raven, happy with the change in direction, “I think he’s with Selina Kyle again. Their arms were linked at the party. And it was his first time seeing me post twenty-first birthday, so he had no disregards treating me like a fellow wine critic.”

Starfire laughed loudly as Icharo sat down the bowls of ramen in front of them. Raven thanked him politely in his native tongue.

After they ate and said their goodbyes, Raven took the long walk back to her place, somber thoughts filling her head again.

All of the trysts she’s ever had. A line of mistake after mistake after mistake…

Still to this day, she felt regret for that night two years ago when she drunkenly gave her first time to Conner, whom she then awkwardly avoided for a month. What filled her with remorse even more was what that had done to Donna. Hurt beyond belief, she gave Raven a cold shoulder for almost two weeks after that, not even glancing her way.

Then there was Jericho right around Valentine’s last year. At a snow-capped fortress where they started enjoying the amazing view over the clouds a little too much together, what she best recalled was earnestly leaving before he awoke. He had never been a part of the team anyway, but the Titans definitely saw him less often after that.

And now here she was running around with Beast Boy. She felt a little sick to her stomach as they went through the motions. For a few months, they’ve been riding this line of perhaps dating, though Raven had never put a label on them. There was no way she could with a guilty conscience. Often looking over his good morning texts. Only truly craving him those times she felt lonely.

Making it back to her place, she realized it was barely noon and she had nothing else to do for the day but stew. Taking her hoodie off, she closed the blinds and turned on the tv, pretending for just a few hours the outside world didn’t exist.

Some hours passed. Raven couldn’t find anything to truly ensnare her mind with interest, so she found herself constantly looking around, trying not to think. Then it began to creep in. She closed her eyes and saw ones of green. She closed her eyes and smelled fresh tea being made for her in the earliest hours of the day.

Albert Einstein once said that madness was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. He was probably onto something.

She picked up her cell phone and punched his contact info, not knowing his number by heart. He picked up on the second ring.

_“Rae?”_

“Hey,” said Raven, “I thought you heard me when I said I was definitely seeing you later?” she asked, biting her lip.

There was a moment of (probably stunned) silence, and then-

_“Yeah!”_ said Garfield enthusiastically, _“yeah, what do you want to do? I’m up for anything! Dinner, movie? Or I could just come over? You know I’m a mean tofu chef!”_

“I’m still full from ramen with Kori,” Raven told him, “just come over?”

_“Be there as quick as a hawk can!”_

Raven hung up the phone and tried not to think she was caving in and settling.

~

Garfield had been the best sex partner she’d had so far, at least, though they were on different frequencies much of the time.

She couldn’t really blame Conner. It was both of their first times and they’d been quite drunk. With Jericho, it was just quick. Raven’s bra hadn’t even gotten off. He collapsed panting far before she’d gotten close to an orgasm. Beast Boy was a least attentive and caring during.

The scratches he liked to make put her off and he was far too much into lip-biting kissing that she wasn’t a fan of, coupled with far too much neck-sucking, but the kisses he traveled over her naked body were nice, and he was very skilled with his tongue. That was the way she’d actually use him to get her off and then she’d return the favor by straddling his lap most of the time. Raven winced as his nails dug into her bottom, squeezing too hard as he finished.

“Oh, fuck,” gasped Gar as Raven rolled off him onto her back. She was panting lightly as well, having down most of the work there.

A finish. But not truly satisfied. Never truly satisfied…

Garfield wrapped an arm around Raven and leaned his head on her shoulder, staring with adoration.

“You’re so great, girl,” he whispered. He closed his eyes sleepily and Raven stared at the ceiling, hoping the night passed quick.

And so the process was repeated.

~

Training the next morning went great.

Donna and Raven effectively put out any other duo. Kori wanted them trained in powerful smaller combinations, so she mixed-and-matched pairs and put them against the ultimate test: an Amazonian and a demon.

The two ladies floated in midair side-by-side as they stared down at their defeated enemies, Superboy and Blue Beetle. Donna still watched Conner with uncomfortable dismay.

“Great work girls,” called Starfire as the defeated boys stood up. Jaime grinned up at them, who returned it. Conner just grimaced and walked the other way.

Raven and Donna landed near where Jaime and Gar now stood, next to the newcomers. Cassandra Sandsmark was a fourteen-year-old new Amazonian warrior and Wallace was a the fourth Flash of the world, just a year older. They both smiled.

“Way to go, mama,” grinned Beast Boy. Raven smiled weakly back, still not used to being called that at all.

“Okay, gang,” Starfire announced, looking more serious, “we do have a mission we need to get to work on. I’m still not planning on bringing Wallace and Cass in on this one, but they’re members of the team and it’s only fair to include them on every mission brief.”

“Hear, hear,” Wallace said. There was some chuckling.

The lights in the training facility went dark and the far wall lit like a giant projector. Raven focused on the first image shown.

Tall, broad-shouldered, and lean, the unknown man whom was the star of the blurry image did wear a fancy dark brown leather jacket and a mask that was a shiny red helmet. It seemed like a costume a kid could pull from a cheap Halloween set up, but everything about this person screamed menacing.

“Whoever he is, he’s the real deal,” Kori told them all, “the crime lords across the entire coast have reportedly changed allegiances to this man. Coast City, National City, Gateway, Santa Marta, and now our own hometown may be effected.”

“How the heck have we _not_ heard of this guy if he’s made this much noise already?” asked Jaime skeptically.

“He’s fast and efficient,” said Star, “two months ago, he came upon the scene when he burned down the mansion of the biggest crime syndicate in Coast City while they’re boss was still inside. The very next morning, he sunk a ship leaving their docks loaded with the drugs attempting to get smuggled out.”

“Sounds like he’s doing our job for us,” shrugged Conner apathetically. Donna tsked.

“We need to take this seriously,” Kori said angrily, “Hal Jordan took some time off from the League to investigate this and came away with nothing. Now he’s on another mission and it’s up to us to stop this person before they gain more power than they already have.”

“Any clue how we get to him?” asked Donna.

“I reached out to Cyborg,” said Kori, “he’s getting connected to every camera around this guy or his operations that they haven’t already destroyed. Cy should be able to let us know something concrete very soon. Me, Raven, Donna, Jaime, Conner, and Gar will go at once to end this as quickly as possible.”

“I’m down for a solo run if the kids wanna stay back,” said Donna shortly. Everyone snorted but Raven and Conner actually broke out a smile.

Kori smiled as well. “Maybe you’ll get to take point. Until then, Titans, good work.”

~

It was two days later when they got the call. Raven was halfway through her breakfast when she received a text from Kori and dropped her spoon.

_He’s at our docks! NOW!_

Raven magically transformed into her leotard and cloak, grabbed her communicator, and flew out the door.

She wasn’t sure how someone had set up an operation right at their front door. Titans Tower had a view of the entire docks from their living room for Pete’s Sake!

_“Meet us at top of the old automobile factory,”_ Kori’s voice came through comms as she soared through the air, _“get some quick recon in before we take this guy out.”_

The rest of the team was already there, assembled. Donna was on a knee peering down at the docks, Conner unusually right at her side. Raven landed next to Kori.

“He acts fast,” she said in a low voice, “an hour ago there was nothing. Now there’s over a hundred million of ill-gotten cash being moved out of the area with several dozen men.”

“Easy day at the office,” Raven replied. She pulled her hood up and got ready for a fight.

“I think I can hear him,” whispered Conner, “he’s the only one with a distorted voice. Must be the mask… Oh, big word user, this guy…”

“Can you pin-point him down?” asked Blue Beetle, transforming his right arm into a canon. Beast Boy gave Raven a soft look, to which she almost audibly groaned. This wasn’t the time for that.

“On the furthest side away from us, he-“ Conner stopped, his eyes going wide.

“What is it?” asked Donna, bewildered.

“This dude is literally saying my name,” gasped Conner, looking stunned, “he’s calling us out, knowing I’m listening!”

The team took seconds to get over that.

“Then let’s not disappoint!” roared Jaime, morphing his other arm into a second canon.

“Titans, go!” Starfire shouted, and so they dispersed.

The bad guys must have had communications of their own. Nearly every one of them were ready for the oncoming heroes, who found themselves hastily dodging bullets, though Conner and Raven were in no worry of those.

Raven attacked the front line of thugs firing bullets willy-nilly. Using her dark force to slap several of them aside at once, she was joined by Kori who fired green bolts of her own energy in every direction.

“Beetle, Beast Boy,” Starfire ordered, “get to the other side with Donna. Make sure this guy doesn’t get away.”

“You got it, boss,” said Jaime, blasting away. The Scarab gave him wings and he took off with Beast Boy who’d transformed into a hawk again. Raven watched them go, already sure of their victory.

“You’ll never beat Hood!” one of the thugs yelled. “The boss is way too much for kids like you.” Kori blasted him before he got out another word.

“Another macho man who will drop like any other chump,” she said with disdain, “save us the speeches. We hear them once a week.”

“Guys, you really shouldn’t be doing this,” Conner advised a group of men as we was shot mercilessly by a thousand bullets. He sighed, never even forced to blink once, then crashed to the ground hard enough to drop them all.

“They never learn,” he said, almost disappointed. Raven and Kori laughed. He began to smile with them, but he shot a look of wide eyes in the direction the others flew off to.

“What’s wrong?” demanded Kori in worry.

“Beetle’s down!” Conner yelled. “And Donna is held up. Let’s go!”

Raven flew with them quickly to where their friends were. Kori broke off to help Donna fight a crowd. But Raven was right next to Conner in the air as they came upon the boss fight scene.

It was a wide clearing between stacked shipping containers. Beetle was down and holding his knee that a bullet had obviously just gone through. Standing defensively in front of him was Beast Boy. Across from Gar was the one they’d come for.

Kori was right. Raven sensed he was the real deal. He was taller than they were and though his body was lean, his muscles filled out even his jacket. The red helmet was not stupid or boyish at all, but clearly an emblem that all should tread lightly when they see it, like an animal that was pointedly colorful in nature for its poison. Raven was involuntarily reminded of Deathstroke.

He ignored Beast Boy and glanced up at the flying duo. Unsure as to why, Raven felt his eyes were more on her than anything, but he addressed Conner.

“I call out the Titans and you sent a skeleton crew as your spear point?” he asked dubiously. His mask caused a disruptor in his voice, just like Conner had said. “Were you afraid to jump in, Super-kiddo?”

“And that’s how you talk yourself into getting broken into little bits,” said Conner, diving down at his enemy.

He’d only been perfectly baited. The man in the red helmet brought something out of his coat that emitted green light and threw it like a shuriken dead at Conner, who couldn’t quite avoid the kryptonite’s light. It affected him to the point where when he dropped onto the enemy’s fist, his jaw was shook and he crumpled to the ground.

“Is there anything sadder than being weak and sure of yourself?” the masked man asked aloud, tilting his head as Conner groaned on the ground. His gaze lifted up to Raven again.

And now mixed with the burning aggression within him was a curiosity. Raven hesitated, confused for a moment, before lighting her hands up.

“If you’re hoping to surrender,” she said coldly, “you missed your chance when you came to Jump City.” To her surprise, the red masked man chuckled. Guns were drawn in each of his hand, powerful looking handhelds.

“Touch her and I’ll kill you!” snarled Beast Boy, crouching down.

“By all means,” the man continued in a bored voice, “have at thee.”

Raven flew in close sensing Beast Boy was getting baited just as Conner did. She formed a protective shield around Gar just as a small sphere-like object dropped the ground from his sleeve and he kicked it, ready to fire his guns whichever way Garfield dodged. His sights immediately went straight up to Raven and fired at will.

Producing a shield to deflect the bullets, Raven know felt the fight was off. These shots were clearly going a half foot right or left of her…

Beast Boy modified his form into many different animals, twisting around the new villain trying to get a good claw or bite in, but the man was very good. Shooting at odd angles very difficult that close and stepping with precision, making calculated moves. Raven was very much reminded of Deathstroke.

Joining the fray up close, Raven focused more on defending Gar’s body that attacking. She sensed he was waiting on one of her black bolts to take advantage of its power, though how he knew that much about her fighting style, Raven had no idea.

And then he got in a good shot. Beast Boy went over his head, morphed into a snake to drop down quickly followed by something heavier right on impact. But the red-masked villain had been expecting that. He aimed off of Gar’s snake body and shot right where the outer limbs of a much larger animal could be, catching Mountain Lion Beast Boy in two of his four legs, yelling in immense pain.

“No!” screamed Raven as Garfield dropped bleeding before their enemy. The red masked man looked up just in time to see Raven’s blast hit him square in the chest and send him flying thirty feet back. He rolled out of it guns up, pointed right at Raven, who similarly had her hands directed dangerously at him, covered in in dark mystical energy. Her hood had fallen down.

“I have a lot of respect for you,” the red masked man said as they stood by in this stand-off that Raven would undoubtedly win, “but it’s hard to take you seriously with a hickey tattooed on your beck.”

“Talk serious,” Raven snapped, “why are you here? What do you want?”

“I’m here to do what your team evidentially can’t,” he said rather easily, “drugs and weapons being taken right out from the docks and the Titans never knew about it? I don’t even get how that’s possible.”

“So you’re taking the weapons to do killings of your own, is that it?” said Raven darkly. “You may play at misunderstood hero, but all I see is an angry little child. But if you want to play with the big kids,” Raven’s eyes began to glow menacingly, “you’ll learn quick we’re not all saints.”

“Oh Raven, you’re one of a kind,” he said smoothly. To her great surprise, he withdrew his guns to the holsters on his hips as he saw Starfire and Donna fly in quickly. Her fellow heroines landed on either side of Raven.

“No!” gasped Starfire in concern. “Beetle, Beast Boy!”

“Seriously?” scowled Donna down at Conner. “Your dad can throw an island and you lose to this guy?”

“They’ll be fine, demoiselle,” assured the red-masked man, tilting his head curiously again.

“And you won’t be,” said Starfire, lighting her hands up just like Raven’s.

“I wouldn’t be too concerned with me,” said the man, backing away slowly, “when you’ve got a few hundred other people to worry about.”

“Your men dropped like daisies,” said Donna coolly.

“Wasn’t talking about them, sweet-cheeks,” the man said. He drew what looked like a small detonator from his jacket and, before Raven could react to slap it from his hand with her energy, he clicked a small red button at the top of it.

They herd it clear as day though it was obviously some ways off. The three girls turned in horror as they witnessed small explosions running up the side of one of the tallest buildings in downtown, easily viewable from the bay.

“That’s Jump City Methodist Hospital,” gasped Donna, in mortified disbelief. Raven whirled around in deadly power at the retreating villain.

_“YOU-“_

“Come for me,” he said loudly as some of his own men approached, “or save all of them. Half of your team is down and you can’t do both. Make a call!”

Starfire looked torn and ready to kill. But she took a step backwards as well. “Titans, fly out! Save those people!” Her face became murderously dark at the red-masked man.

“We’ll be seeing you again.”

He laughed hard once. “I’m counting on it. Until then,” he waved and twirled around, not a shred of fear of them in his persona. Raven wanted to blast his back.

“No,” he snarled at his man pointing a rifle at the girls, “we have everything we wanted. Time to go, fool.”

They didn’t get to watch them leave. Having to hurry, Donna and Kori flew off immediately, talking of how best to evacuate the higher levels. Thankfully, Conner was getting up. As Raven was turning, she shot a venomous look at their new dire enemy. Curiously, he looked over his shoulder back as well, almost seemingly making eye contact from under his mask. Then he turned back and picked up the pace, leaving the area quickly.

~

Not all was as it seemed, they quickly learned.

Jump City Methodist remained intact, though every single person in it was currently losing their minds in fear. So much so that Raven found herself outside to try to get away from it all. No one needed any more help than what they normally would have at the hospital that day.

“Fortunate that idiot didn’t know how much power it would have taken to drop a building that size,” breathed Conner that night at Titans Tower as Raven was healing Garfield’s second injured limb. She finished and he lifted himself up from the sofa, gratefully stretching his leg that seemed brand-new.

“What have we got?” Kori asked Jaime, who was inspecting the bomb residue.

“We got played,” Jaime said with certainty, dropping the melted and exploded contents back onto the table.

“Huh?” said Donna.

“Guys, this little part was the only bomb,” explained Jaime, holding up a small piece of a black box, allowing them to examine it. “That’s why all there was were cracks along the building’s side. The structural integrity wasn’t even compromised. The rest of the noise came from these,” he said, gesturing to the rest of the melted substance.

“Enhanced fireworks,” he clarified, seeing their dubious faces, “filled with extra juice and a homemade compound to give a bigger flash and make even louder noise than what they were originally designed for.”

“We got fooled and he got away,” groaned Conner, folding his arms. Raven could feel his disappointment with himself. It was borderline self-disgust. She was about to say something soothing, but noticed Donna watching him softly as well, and decided not to intervene.

“I’ll keep in contact with Cy,” said Kori, “see if he can help us trace this guy down again. Figure out just what the hell is going on. Until then… Titans, rest up.”

It was definitely a final dismissal, as Kori turned away from them quickly and walked off. Raven could feel her contemplating things heavily. Before she’d made off herself as well, thinking of her bed and a warm cup of tea, she held back a sigh as at this point it would be almost shameful to avoid Gar’s gaze any longer, who’d been trying to catch her eye the entire time.

She turned to him to see a frown on his face and sadness in his eyes, but a hopeful churning inside his mood.

“Doing anything tonight?” he asked.

~

“I can’t believe I got dropped so easily.”

Garfield was sitting at the edge of her bed as Raven returned to her room with a warm ceramic mug of tea, gazing down at the floor sulkily.

“This guy knew what he was doing,” Raven tried comforting him, “and he knew us. He took out Jaime and Conner too, remember?”

That seemed to make Garfield even more depressed. “I know,” he said bitterly, “the mighty Titans. He ripped us apart with a couple of bullets.”

Raven would have destroyed him, but she decided not to point that out.

“You probably think I’m weak,” Gar said softly to the ground. Raven grimaced and sat next to him.

“Stop beating yourself up,” she said, placing a soothing hand on his shoulder. She had honestly hoped the move to be seen as platonic (thinking of her talk with Kori a couple of days ago) but guessed as they were in her actual bedroom, it was pretty fair of Gar to lean in to her. His hand found the one she rested on her thigh and when he turned his face towards hers, their noses were nearly touching.

“Thank you for being so good to me, Rae,” he whispered, his breath touching her face. He leaned in and kissed her. Raven moved her lips with his.

It was quicker than usual. Garfield didn’t take the time to be as attentive as he normally was, just pressing their bodies as close as he could get them as he was unusually on top of her and when he was done, he’d left Raven unfinished. She waited until he was asleep before slipping out of bed and attending to herself in the warm shower. She came out looking at Garfield’s sleeping form sprawled out over her bed and walked on to the living room, opening a bottle up and pouring a small glass of wine before finding something on one of the streaming sites.

Her lips parted when one of the trending shows was a new nature documentary about the Tibetan mountains. She stared in disbelief as the quick promo played.

_“You’ve never had Yak Butter Tea?”_

_“I’ve never_ heard _of Yak Butter Tea,”_ she remembered laughing that morning.

Turning the volume low enough so that it definitely wouldn’t wake Garfield, she drank some of her wine deeply and allowed herself to get lost once again.

~

Two days later came a mighty surprise. Nightwing had shown up at Titans Tower.

“Raven,” he called over as she entered the training facility. Stunned, she took a moment to eagerly walk over to where he stood with Gar and Jaime.

“You’re back,” she smiled. He returned it warmly.

“Kori called me,” he said unexpectedly. “It’s… professional. She said it’s looking like you guys might need some help with something.”

“I plan on engaging as soon as we find him,” said Kori, who’d just been watching the back of Nightwing’s head. “When we find the location of the Red Hood, Wallace and Cassandra will stay behind to run regular patrols as we go after him.”

Garfield smiled mischievously. “So I’m guessing we’ll break up into teams of two again? Me and Rae… Donna and Conner… Jaime and his Scarab… You and Sir Richard “Nightwing” Grayson.”

“Garfield,” snapped Raven, using some energy to knock him upside the head as Nightwing rubbed the back of his neck and Kori looked flustered.

~

Oh, how a single day can radically change everything.

Raven awoke with dawn just beginning to rise same as usual a week later. Garfield had sent her a text after her shower, but she just wasn’t in the mood to reply. They’d see each other at training anyways.

Showing up, it was almost gratifying to see Starfire and Nightwing talking one-on-one so close together. She lingered back to give them some more time as no one else had got there yet. Kori pulled some hair behind her ear.

Training was normal as well. The team fought well. Nightwing synced with Starfire as faultless as ever. They even shared a smile as they handily beat Garfield and Jaime in two-vs-two.

Then Starfire’s communicator rang from her wrist and everything changed.

Starfire listened in for a moment then her eyes popped wide. She raised a hand high to halt practice.

“Cyborg has got something!” she announced loudly to them all, adrenaline coursing through her in preparation for action. Unknowing of what was to come in the next minutes.

Beetle dimmed the lights of the training facility and the far wall became a projector again, showing them Cyborg’s serious face. Despite the weight of the situation, Raven smiled. Cy was one of her oldest friends as well, having been the oldest member on the team when she originally joined. But he’d moved on to the Justice League just two years after that.

“Titans,” he said, grimness radiating from his every cell and circuit.

“What have you got, Cy?” asked Kori intently. “Do we have his location?”

Cyborg’s eyes were intensely on Nightwing, who began to feel confusion. He flicked them over to Kori and said, “Yeah, we got him. I grabbed a couple of images off a security feed that his goons forgot to disassemble.”

“Finally,” rumbled Conner, placing his hands on his hips, “let’s go get this fucker.”

Curiously, he was standing next to Donna again.

Cyborg’s eyes went somberly back to Nightwing, even flashing to Raven standing just behind him for a moment.

“Showing images now,” he sighed, shutting his human eye tightly. His image disappeared followed by a screen shot of a black car pulling up outside of a snazzy private club with a waiter standing outside. The shot was followed by Red Hood stepping out of the vehicle sans goons, donning the same attire they’d fought him that day in. The next image was of him even closer to the front door, shaking hands with the apparent waiter. The second to last was Red Hood reaching behind his head, readying to pull his crimson helmet off.

Then the final image appeared.

Raven paled. Her eyes went wide and her lower jaw dropped, like most of the Titans. Their silence was deafening to Raven’s empathy.

Under the Red Hood was a young man about most of their age with olive skin, cropped black hair that was a signature of only one other man alive, and very intense emerald green eyes.

“That’s… not… possible…” said Conner in a hushed tone. Donna next to him stared as wordless and as open-mouthed as the rest of them. In horror at what couldn’t be true.

“It can’t be him,” reasoned Starfire in a maniacal voice, “it’s a trick.” The image didn’t leave, but Cyborg’s voice came on like a narrator.

“It’s him, Kori,” said Cy sadly, “facial recognitions match. We caught an audio clip from the security feed… it’s a match. It’s him. The Red Hood… is Damian Wayne.”

Raven stared at Damian’s face. Though he was older, he looked just as she had seen him that morning. The same chiseled jawline. The same arch to his brow. The same way Damian set his mouth.

She felt as though a hole the size of the tower had just been blown through her gut. She didn’t know how she was still standing. The image disappeared, replaced by Cyborg’s somber image.

“This security feed is still up,” he said in a very tired voice, “so we know he’s still staying in a hotel down the road from this joint in Coast City under the pseudonym ‘Jason Todd’. Top floor, penthouse. We… we need to strike before he moves again.” He lifted his eyes to his old team’s face and Raven didn’t need to be next to him to feel the remorse.

“I can suit up some members of the League, guys… Flash might be available and nothing can stand up to him… you all don’t have to do this…”

“No,” choked Kori. Her voice was shaking just as her eyes were, but her form was steady. “No, it has to be us. It needs to be us. We need answers.” Her eyes flickered to her ex-boyfriend. Nightwing was staring at the ground.

Cyborg was watching him as well. He sighed. “I need to know man… who should tell the big guy.”

Nightwing’s head snapped, still looking away from them all. Raven felt his unwillingness to accept the situation.

“I’ll do it,” Raven volunteered loudly. They turned to look to her. “Other than Dick, I know Batman better than anyone else here. I’ll tell him, but only after we see him. I have to know…” she trailed off, leaving the rest of it unsaid. She wasn’t sure what force was keeping her going. It felt like her entire world collapsed and she was left staring at the rubble. Raven stared at the screen waiting for Cyborg to accept her resolve, not even remotely caring that Garfield was watching her now.

“I’ll go with you, Rae,” Nightwing began shaking his head. Raven felt his resolve match her own. “Of course I will. But you’re right. Only _after_ we get ahold of Damian. We’re taking him to see his father _tonight_.”

“Are you sure you’re-“ Kori began, but immediately cut off at the look on Nightwing’s face. She turned to the team, unsure of what to say, except-

“Suit up.”

~

Raven ignored the mutterings of the team as they readied themselves for what was about to happen. She stared away from Beast Boy’s attempts to catch her eye. Savage thoughts festered in her head against Raven’s will.

Damian was alive, she’d thought. What did he think was going to happen?

“Everyone good to go yet?” demanded Nightwing. The Titans meekly responded. Kori placed a soft hand on his shoulder, trying to convey a reminder to Dick that this was hard for them as well. She looked gravely to the rest of the team and then to Raven, whom nodded, raised a hand, and created a portal.

~

Coast City was beautiful this time of year, if they had cared enough to enjoy it. Raven teleported them straight to the hotel they needed to go to, one of the many luxurious ones in Queen Industries line, and her eyes soared the outside windows straight to the top.

He was here… he was right here…

“Titans, infiltrate fast,” Starfire ordered, as they already drew enough attention to themselves. Everyone was turning their heads from the streets and was no different as they entered the hotel like a hyper-powered SWAT team. Raven clamped her dark energy around the mouths of many people to get them from making too much noise as Nightwing approached the reception with a vicious look upon his face.

“You’re harboring a deadly criminal,” he told the elder man aggressively, “which penthouse suite is booked for Jason Todd? _Now!”_

Trembling, the man answered, “Floor 57, the entire area is our exclusive _Billionaire_ suite.”

Nightwing tsked as he turned away from the man. Raven matched his intensity as they lead the way up, several feet ahead of even Starfire.

He had to have still been here. Please don’t let him have gotten away…

They got to the right door and she blew it open, uncaring. The moment had come.

The Titans filed into a large, lavish living area. It was like an actual billionaire’s in-town residence for when they were too tired to get driven out to their country estate away from the city noise. Beetle and Kori had their blasters ready every which way ready to fire at goons hung around, but none came. But now Raven’s breathing became shaky as she stared at a certain door. She could feel curiosity from just behind it. Garfield was watching her steadily now.

The door opened and Raven’s mouth along with it. It was him. Dressed in sweatpants and no shirt, leaving his ripped torso exposed as if he’d just woke up and rolled out of bed, Damian was almost exactly as she remembered. There was a long second where nothing was said that she took to just enjoy it.

Easy breathing came to her. He was maybe half a foot taller and more muscular, but he still had that lean, athletic figure. His left eyebrow cocked up. There was a faint pale scar trailing from the corner of his fight brow that dashed across his temple to his hairline…

“Damian,” breathed Nightwing at last.

There was no hostility in the room, but Damian was still ready for it, Raven felt. She couldn’t believe it was him she had blasted in the chest just over a week ago. She’d sooner harm herself.

“Grayson,” Damian greeted with cool indifference, as if not a day had passed. His eyes lifted above their heads in thought. “Those buffoons must have missed a camera. The one job they had…”

“You couldn’t have hid from us or the League forever doing the things you’ve done, Damian,” said Starfire softly. Everything in her wanted Damian to come peacefully, maybe repent and earn forgiveness. To be a part of things again.

“If I was hiding, do you think I’d hold up in one of the most enviable locations in the city, Koriand’r,” said Damian in a bored voice. Emerald eyes drifted over the face of his old friends. Though when they came upon Raven, they’d dropped, as if he didn’t wish to look her in the face.

For the first time in a few hours, she felt anger rather than intensity and relief.

“What do you all want?” he asked dully. “To thank me for doing your job for you? Jump City is nearly completely drug clear. You’re welcome.”

“Dude,” said Jaime in disbelief.

Damian glared at Nightwing. It was almost as if they were having a silent conversation. Raven wanted him to look at her. Meet her in the eyes.

“Leave,” said Damian in a hard voice. Raven sympathized with Dick’s anger.

“We’re not-“ began Dick angrily.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” cut across Damian in a hiss, though his eyes were still definitely on Nightwing. Behind him, the door creaked open again. A blonde bimbo wearing an unbuttoned white dress shirt and small underwear appeared looking frilly, but sketchy on the situation going on around her. She tip-toed past Damian as if she was sneaking out.

Raven stared at the beautiful girl coming out of the bedroom Damian was just in.

It doesn’t matter, she told herself. He was alive. That’s all that matters.

Donna looked deeply unimpressed as the girl bent to grab what must’ve been her skirt from the floor and gave everyone a cheeky show. She straightened back up, luxurious blond hair tossing around, giggled as if they were all having a goofy time, and looked back at Damian before she put her bottoms on.

“Call me?” she asked. Damian’s hard glare never wavered from his brother.

“No,” he answered. The blonde looked wilted, as if she had just realized this wasn’t an after party.

“Where were you?” demanded Nightwing vehemently, not bothering with the sideshow. “Why didn’t you come home?!”

Damian finally dropped his eyes to the floor, nodding to himself. When the emeralds came back up to the team again, they were dangerous.

“That’s the problem with your lack of understanding,” he said coldly, his body twisting the slightest degree, “you’re acting under the presumption,” his hand slowly moved behind his back, “that I don’t remember _everything.”_

In the blink of an eye, Damian withdrew one of the powerful handhelds he’d used as Red Hood. Raven was putting up protection for their teammates weak to gunfire, but he aimed it at the blonde pulling her skirt up and shot.

Raven watched her eyes go wide as the bullet connected with her spine. She’d need immediate medical attention or she’d certainly die. Raven whirled her head back to Damian to see him already gone.

“No, he doesn’t-“ started Conner, but Donna wrapped her arms around him quickly.

“I can see a green glow in there! He has kryptonite!”

“Raven, help the girl!” Starfire roared. She followed Beetle and Nightwing already giving chase as Conner shouted his helplessness. Raven, half wanting to leave the damn girl be, dropped to her knees and began healing. She willed for her body to push the bullet out and concentrated on her bones to start healing. Perhaps the girl wouldn’t be paralyzed.

“I’m going after them,” said Donna. She shot off like a missile and Conner vented aggressively. Beast Boy laid a hand on Raven’s shoulder, but she didn’t look up at him. She just didn’t care in the moment. Her amethyst eyes staid on the girl, who now had a tear forming.

“Jason,” she mumbled weakly, “why… why did he…”

Raven felt sympathy for her for the first time as she feinted.

“I don’t know,” she muttered back.

~

The Titans had been unable to capture Damian yet again, who’d had a getaway jet getting into position ever since he heard the Titans barging in. He broke out the window and landed on it. Starfire and Donna, the only ones quick enough to catch him at that point, were helpless as he shot down some of the suspension cables holding up a bridge over Coast City. They’d been forced to actually save many lives this time, abandoning the chase.

Nightwing, like Raven, was inconsolable, though he was must louder about it than she was. It was all Kori could do to get him to calm down. He wasn’t angry at the team. Just himself.

“We should have been more prepared,” he was saying, his clenched fists shaking, “should have planned for an escape route.”

“We _will_ get him, Dick,” soothed Kori, looking surprised as Nightwing leaned his head into her shoulder. She looked surprised at first, but then gladly placed a hand tenderly on the back of his head and rested their temples together.

Garfield was trying to do the same for Raven, but she wasn’t having it. She kept her arms folded and stared crossly out the glass that overlooked Jump City.

He was out there. He was hiding from her, she was sure of it…

“Rae?”

She didn’t turn towards Beast Boy’s voice. Didn’t want to bother with his comforting solutions. Damian was out there and he was willingly alone. Raven had to find out why. She turned the opposite way from Beast Boy and addressed Dick.

“We need to go,” she told him. Kori looked a beat upset about breaking up their moment, but let it go. Nightwing looked at Raven and nodded grimly. It was time to tell his father. She joined him in the middle of the room, away from everyone else surrounding them. Their somber looks told the sad, long tale of the day. But Raven, despite shaking with how impacted she was, raised a hand and created a glowing circular portal from nothing.

~

She’d visited Wayne Manor more than she’d like to admit, if she ever admitted why she so often visited.

Though it was a glorious sight to behold in the setting sun like this, they didn’t get the chance to admire it as Raven teleported them to the foyer inside, making Alfred Pennyworth jump.

“Goodness gracious,” said Alfred as the light behind them dissipated, “Lady Raven, Master Dick, what may we owe the pleasure of this late visit?”

Dick looked like the words died in his mouth. Raven guessed he hadn’t even thought of having to explain it to the family’s grandfather yet.

“We’re here to see the big guy,” said Raven for him, “is he here Alfred? Or pretending he can still jump across rooftops in his old age?” she tried for a smile.

Alfred studied them scrupulously in that old English refined manner he did. He was too long in the game to be tricked by a heavy situation belied behind light-hearted messages.

“He’s in his private study,” he told them however, “I believe he’s still resting. Batman fought Black Mask’s gang and won this afternoon.”

“Is he alright?” asked Raven in genuine concern. She’d healed Bruce plenty these past few years, though he never once admitted he had needed it.

“It really is just some minor scratches, Lady Raven,” smiled Alfred warmly. His hands were folded gentlemanly behind his back and it reminded her of a certain someone. “I believe Master Bruce would be glad to accept company this evening- I’m sure he’s bored senseless just waiting around.”

“Thanks, Al,” Raven smiled. It felt painful to do so.

“I’ll probably be staying the night,” said Dick, turning, “see you in the morning, Al.”

“Shall I prepare your usual room, Lady Raven?” called Alfred as they started walking away. She looked back at him.

“Not this time, thank you, Alfred,” she said back, “I need to report to the team as soon as I can.” Her and Richard carried on without another word. The sun was very nearly fully set outside and the manor was changing tones with it, from something elegant and grandiose to a sort of castle that held sinister secrets in its long hallway shadows. They duo came upon the double oak doors of the master study and knocked.

Creaking open, they met Bruce Wayne’s curious face. His royal blue eyes darted between his eldest son and Raven.

“This is a surprise,” he said, further opening up and allowing them in.

Bruce Wayne’s master study was a dream of Raven’s. Books lined neatly in rows on floor-to-ceiling shelves and a number of odd objects placed on his desks, Bruce led them past it all to the great fireplace down at the end, which was lit, where four red cushy armchairs sat facing each other. Bruce sat down at one in particular and Raven and Dick sat at the two facing him. There was a bottle of an open Chateau and a wine glass on a small table next to him. Bruce saw Raven eye it.

“It’s aired out nicely,” Bruce commented, “shall I pour you out a glass? 1994 was a great year for this particular vineyard.”

“You’ve already deduced we’re not here for pleasantry,” frowned Dick. A very tired look entered Bruce’s eyes.

“Let’s hear the worst of it then,” he said, picking up his wine glass and swirling it.

Dick swallowed and let go of a large breath, not sure of where to start, Raven felt. So she picked up in his stead.

“You obviously know of the Red Hood that’s been terrorizing the West Coast,” she said. Her eyes met with his. “We’ve had Cyborg watch every move we could of his, following him before he accumulated too much damage. Well, we finally cornered him…”

“Bruce, it’s Damian,” said Dick blatantly. Raven gave him wild eyes at his rip-off-the-band-aid method. Perhaps that’s how Bruce would be able to best absorb the impact. “Damian is the guy under the Red Hood. He’s still alive! He hasn’t been dead this entire time, just missing. He seemed to feel like- like he’s been wronged somehow.”

Bruce studied them both. Raven didn’t feel nearly as much as she thought she would from him. She still felt hollow from the day herself. Instead of waiting for the emotional reaction she thought would transpire, Raven began studying him right back.

“Damian is back?” he asked, and his words sounded only a little heavier. “He’s been the one causing this from underneath a Red Hood?’

“Well, we can stop him there,” said Dick, his eyes tightening uncertainly at his father, “we should have had him today. Next time we’ll… but Bruce, Damian is back. He’s alive!”

Bruce Wayne studied his wine. His eyes were controlled. His muscles were controlled, free of spasm. His jaw wasn’t even working at the riveting news.

Raven felt the second blow of the day as she understood. It clicked in Dick’s mind a second after.

“ _You knew,”_ he whispered in a hushed, unbelieving tone, “you fucking knew Damian was alive.”

Bruce had the dignity to look up and meet them both in the eye. Raven recalled all the times she visited Wayne Manor to stare at that empty grave. All the times Bruce had been right there with her, putting an arm around her shoulder, offering her to come inside for a drink, even though she wasn’t of legal age. They hadn’t cared. They’d mourned Damian deeply together over and over and over again. Raven had a room here reserved for her constant stays.

“How?” she croaked. “Why? How could you?!”

Now she felt his remorse as Bruce gazed at the two younger people, but it felt far too late for that. He sighed deeply and dropped his enchantingly deep blue eyes back to his wine.

“Two days before the funeral, I found where Damian’s body had gone,” he said then in a hollow voice, “let me explain…”

**_Three Years Ago…_ **

****

The fortress was nigh-impenetrable. Armed to the teeth with some of the most skilled hand-to-hand fighters in the world wielding the finest made blades and a mystical protection of the mountain, Nanda Parbat was a place any member of the League would tread lightly.

But Batman was filled with a rage that he was scared wouldn’t quell.

Arms shattered, ribs broke, and skulls were fractured as he made his way up the castle-like estate. Any member of the shadow whom stepped forward were broken viciously by the Bat. He made his way through the palace like a monster on a seek-and-destroy mission. The only one whom truly concerned him was Shiva, knowing he’d have to resort to lethal tactics from the arsenal on his belt to subdue her.

But he needn’t had worried. Shiva had knelt on his arrival, and continued to do so as he walked past. The one whom Ra’s Al Ghul had chosen to take his stead. Shiva held back her blade out of honor for her old master’s wishes.

So Batman had reached the cavern with the glowing green liquid just in time. The barrel of a powerful handheld was aimed right at his head by the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

“Take another step and only one of us will walk away from this place,” snarled Talia Al Ghul. Behind her, Batman saw a raised platform holding a body wrapped in Tibetan silk. Just long enough to be…

“You can’t do this,” Batman told Talia, trying to make her see reason, “our son deserves a proper burial. Honor him!”

“What would you truly know of honor?” demanded Talia. Her emerald eyes were burning.

“You don’t know what he’ll come out as!” Batman yelled. His foot inched forward and Talia cocked her weapon. Batman stilled.

“Would you kill me?” he said softly. But his mind was analyzing everything. Which moves to make at the exact time they needed to be made to get around her should he must.

Talia’s eyes were shaking.

“Do you remember the day I brought him to you?” she asked, and there was a tremor in her voice. “After Slade attacked our home, betrayed my family. He was a warrior, but still just a ten-year-old boy. I brought him to you because I thought the safest place on the planet was wherever _you_ just happened to be. I thought the best place in this world for him at that moment was with his _father,_ who could protect him _._ ”

She let that sting for a moment before adding, in a harsh voice, “That decision has cost me _everything._ ”

“Do you know how I found our son? His broken body was floating in the middle of the ocean, blue from hours drifting in freezing water. Not a hand from a friend or father to help him in death. Yet the sharks themselves swam away from his corpse in respect of what the world had lost. And now you come here expecting me to give him back to your incapable hands? Oh, my love, yes… yes, I would kill you where you stand. _Without hesitation!”_

And the pain had been complete. A tear had fallen from the Batman’s face at last as he witnessed the woman whom he had loved defend their dead child… from him. Batman turned and walked away from it all.

**_Present Day…_ **

****

“And that’s what happened,” finished Bruce, his eyes sadly on the fire. His breathing was slow and sad, just like his mind at that moment. “Other than keeping tabs on her son, the League of Shadows had been watching over Brother Blood’s actions for months. Where he was drilling into the ocean’s depths, he’d been hoping to find a Lazarus Pit of his own. He thought it would enhance his physical form. When the Titans engaged that night, Talia had been informed by her scouts, but by the time she’d arrived… the deed was done.”

Raven and Dick had listened in steely silence. Almost speechless. Now it clicked again how Bruce had been able to stand out there with Raven all those times watching over his empty grave. The Batman was broken…

“Do you know how he came back?” asked Dick, his strained hands intertwined.

“Not well,” said Bruce sadly, “but he slowly regained his sense of self. Though, as you see, his morality rate dropped.”

“And that’s why no one’s heard from Brother Blood for years now?” demanded Dick, just trying to understand the whole picture that they were never shown, “Damian came back and went after him like a sicko?”

“No,” answered Bruce gravely, “that was Talia. After Damian didn’t need her constant tending to, she went after Blood and caught up with him less than four months after the incident. She killed his men and ripped Blood to pieces… I understand she has his skull on display in Nanda Parbat.”

“Wow,” breathed Raven. She felt at a loss of… everything still.

Bruce eyes went back and forth between the two.

“Raven… Dick…”

“I don’t hate you for this, Bruce,” said Dick through gritted teeth and closed eyes, “but God damnit if you don’t have royal fuck up after royal fuck up…”

Bruce’s royal blue eyes sadly found Raven. Wordless still, she closed her eyes and gave a noncommittal shrug-and-nod of the head. It was the best he’d get from her for now.

Dick was staying the night, deciding to have some wine and long talks with his father, but Raven still chose to go despite Bruce’s insistence.

She would definitely not be reporting to anyone how it went this night. Maybe Dick would fill Kori in when morning came. Opening a portal, Raven went home.

Her apartment was dark, the only light coming in from the open blinds. But as he view faced away from the city lights and instead to the open bay, it wasn’t much. She checked her phone for the first time in hours. Garfield had called a few times. Donna had sent a text asking if everything was okay.

It was not.

She removed her heels and was about to change when she walked through her living room and stilled- sensing that she was not alone.

“There’s no one who can sneak up on me,” she warned the intruder, glancing left and right into the dark.

_“Oh Raven, you’re one of a kind.”_

Her heart stilled. Turning slowly, she saw him there as still as a statue, leaning against her wall in a cool manner with his arms folded. Leather jacket and Red Hood on. They stared at one another.

“Take that ridiculous thing off,” she whispered. Red Hood didn’t move for a moment and Raven thought he wasn’t going to oblige. Then he came off her wall and reached behind his head.

Despite everything of the day, Raven had an emotional, audible gasp when Damian’s face was revealed. His green eyes met hers as he sat the mask on his dinner table.

“Thought we could chat,” he said simply. He leaned back on her table and folded his arms again, his emeralds staring at Raven intently.

She took in every detail of him. It was as if only a very long day had passed since the last time they were face to face like this. Raven got the feeling he was doing the same. His eyes had miniscule movements and Raven knew he was her lips, her tone, her hair. She saw them flash to her neck where there’d been a hickey last week. Then Raven realized something that sparked some anger.

“So you even kept up with me,” she accused, clenching a fist. How long had he decided to just _not_ to talk to her?

Damian’s eyebrow raised slowly. “Would you not have kept up with me?”

“I would have talked to you!” she shouted, throwing her head forward. “I would have done anything!”

“So you say,” said Damian bitterly and Raven backtracked her anger for a moment, remembering he was the one disappointed in them. In her.

“Why didn’t you come back?” she asked in a calmer voice. “I was just at Wayne Manor with Dick. Your father, he told us everything. How he found you before your mother dipped you in the Lazarus Pit…” her eyes grazed the scar on the top right side of her head. “Why didn’t you come back…”

Damian’s jaw worked as they studied one another. Raven felt a burning desire in him to tell her everything, but then another part of him that just wanted to take off and not bother with it ever again. Finally, his eyes casted themselves down and away as he started to talk.

“I wasn’t dead you know,” he began, “that night. Not at first, anyway. I thought you clearly would have known that. Blood got a good shot in, but he still missed. The bullet grazed right here, obviously,” he explained, propping his right eyebrow up to highlight the scar, “and caused a lot of blood loss, but I wasn’t dead. Stunned, probably. I think my body went into a state of shock, because I remember I couldn’t _feel_ anything. I fell out of the jet, but had enough sense to…” he stopped, mashing his mouth in a hard line. Raven hated the pain in his emerald eyes.

“I knew you weren’t dead,” said Raven breathlessly, “I knew it. Though everything screamed he’d just killed you, I felt you were still alive. But how? You fell out the jet… we were almost three hundred feet up…”

Damian’s eyes shut tightly. Raven knew they were upon the hard part. The moment of betrayal, to Damian.

“I grabbed ahold of the rope Jaime had thrown out to us,” he said in a hard whisper and Raven paled, “it was sticking out of the hangar door and I had enough sense to grab on to keep from falling.” His eyes opened and Raven felt broken at the horrible reminiscent gleam in them.

“I held on… for as long as I could, Raven. Every second thinking, they’ll come. They’ll try to save me. They’ll turn the plane around and get me. After all, all they had to do was open the hangar door and see…” his eyes became hollow, “I guess you guys couldn’t hear the screams over the jet engines. I kept it up for as long as I could and then… I couldn’t hold on anymore.”

Raven had tears in her eyes.

“We did go back,” she said, her voice trembling, “we looked everywhere for you. But that’s why we couldn’t find you. We just thought you were dead, Damian. And Conner was out and Starfire was shot. We just didn’t want any more people to die. Please…”

Damian nodded as though he’d gone over this answer in his head and numbly accepted it. “I know…” was all he said. He stood up and Raven watched him with wide, wet eyes.

“I should go,” he said urgently, his eyes closed again, but that was out of the question to Raven. She stepped forward quickly and grabbed his hand before he even fully turned.

“No,” she said, trying to get him to look at her. Damian didn’t fight her grasp, but gazed over the top of her head. They’d been an inch within each other’s height back then. Now she barely reached his chin.

“You have your own life to live, Raven,” said Damian in an automatic sort of voice, “and so do I.”

“You’re here,” Raven told him, “and you’re staying.”

“I’m not a Titan anymore. You all made sure of that.”

Raven swallowed the hurt of that statement. “And you don’t have to be,” she said softly, knowing she was far too close to him, “but you’re not getting away from me that easily.”

She knew she shouldn’t have done it. But honestly, the reasons for that were miles away from her thoughts. Damian’s eyes as they came down to meet hers overwhelmed Raven.

Watching her own pale fingers gently lay across his jawline, Raven felt Damian’s hand find the small of her back as she raised herself up and he came down. Their lips met and it was better than Raven had ever once imagined in all those years.

Her breathing was shaky as they continued. His jacket became unzipped and disposed of on her living room floor. She guided him backwards to the bedroom, kissing all the while. Grabbing his shoulders, Raven pushed Damian down to sit him on the edge of her bed, pulling his shirt up and over. Emerald eyes popped as she dispelled the leotard and cloak, leaving her in front of him in only small black underwear. She eagerly climbed on top of his lap and delivered another deep kiss, savoring every moment of this.

All else outside the two of them was ignored eternally. The phone on her nightstand buzzing with Garfield’s concerned calls. The Red Hood helmet on her dinner table. Raven’s only thought was pulling Damian closer, touching every inch of him as they laid under her bedsheets. Gasping his name as he thrusted. Seeing fireworks as he finished her the first time. Hearing the sound of them and becoming intoxicated when his tongue entered her mouth. He was on top of her and she was on top of him, probably going many more rounds than they should have after a long day. But every time Damian’s mouth found her skin after they’d finish together she’d whisper, “Please don’t stop.”

And their bodies would melt together again.

~

Six missed calls. Two texts.

_I know you’re hurting, Rae. But please let me know you’re alright._ – Garfield.

_How did the talk with Batman go? Did he handle it? Kori hasn’t heard anything from Dick either and she’s freaking out. Please let me know something. : (_ \- Garfield.

Raven was as sore as could be as she awoke the next morning and rolled out of bed, not even checking her phone after hearing the sounds emitting from her kitchen. Stiffly, she pulled a long tee-shirt on so she wouldn’t be walking around entirely naked and got up.

Damian was there, shirtless but in his pants from the prior night, making some tea. A few scars riddled his ripped, mean-looking back. He glanced back at her with a cocked eyebrow and an amused expression that made her heart flutter.

“Yak Butter Tea?” he asked in a humorous voice. Raven went slightly pink.

“I ordered some after watching a documentary last week,” she mumbled and wrapped her arms around his back at the waist. It was an image straight from her memories. And dreams.

“You know you have nothing in your fridge to eat, right?” said Damian in a very audible low voice.

“I usually pick something up on the way back from training,” said Raven, becoming distracted as Damian’s free hand caressed hers, “all I really keep here is some tea and chocolate.”

“And very, very expensive wine,” mused Damian. Raven ignored that, kissing his back. Backing off, she heaved herself up so that she seated on the kitchen island, watching Damian turn around curiously. His eyes flashed down, parting his mouth, when he saw her opening her legs, the shirt she wore lifting up just enough. Without even turning his head around, he moved the kettle to a nonactive burner and came forward for her. Insatiable, her hands went instinctively for his pants which slid down with ease. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he entered her and she gasped, then folding her arms around his neck.

He went deep. And seemed to know just how to find the g-spot. Raven’s eyes rolled upwards as she experienced the best morning sex she’d ever had. Seduced further by Damian’s euphoria. Him loving every inch of her as much she loved and craved every inch of him.

The life they could have had…

Raven’s toes curled as se flexed and came for him, Damian holding her thighs and moaning in her mouth as he did the same. She felt him shoot. Their lips parted but foreheads retained connection as jeweled eyes gazed into one another.

“Have anything to do today?” wondered Raven breathlessly, thinking of his company in a hot shower. Damian huffed a low chuckle.

“No,” he answered, “but I can’t stick around here. Your team is still after me.”

Raven was too elated to grimace, wincing only because he pulled away. She watched him watch her as he lifted his pants back up and began redoing them. Emerald eyes hungrily went up and down her form.

“I know somewhere we could go,” he offered, “if you’d like to join me.”

Raven should have thought it over. But it wasn’t a debate in her mind.

“Where are we headed?” she asked. “After tea.”

Damian’s jaw worked as he tried to fight it. But after a moment a crooked smirk made its way to his face.

~

Coast City was beautiful this time of the year, Raven realized, now that she had the time to enjoy it.

“You know the team probably expects you to return to the scene of the crime?” said Raven.

She was wearing a matching set of jet-black track pants and a pullover with the hood up, staring down the street the hotel Damian ‘Jason Todd’ Wayne had been staying in up until yesterday. Glancing up from the competing hotel they were about to enter, Raven saw the spot Damian must have broken through the windows on the very top floor boarded off.

“Wonder how much that’s going to cost them,” she muttered.

“Whatever it is, they can afford it,” said Damian. He was looking skywards at it with her, holding her hand. His crooked smirk came back as they looked at each other again. “Come on.”

The lobby was a wide area with a line of chic chandeliers Raven found appealing hanging from a forty-foot ceiling. Some bust boys were scurrying around and one of the three older businessmen sitting around on the guest sofas caught Raven’s eye and winked. Feeling bile in her mouth, they came upon the reception desk where a very pretty brunette maybe a few years older than them was waiting in an elegant all-black suit. Her eyes sparkled when she saw Damian approaching, but quickly adopted a bitter ice tone when she’d noticed Raven walking side-by-side with him, holding hands.

“Mister Timothy,” the receptionist said with forced pleasantry and a fixed smile. Raven had to resist the urge to cock an eyebrow. “Will you be staying with us again?” Her eyes unwillingly flitted to their hand holding again.

“Same room, if it’s available, Grace,” said ‘Timothy’ with a smirk. Raven squeezed his hand.

“Of course,” said Grace with a toothy ear-to-ear smile that just looked painful. She typed something into a computer behind the counter, maintaining that grin all the while, and briskly held out a platinum card which Damian took from her.

“I still have your information from _last time_ ,” Grace informed him, somehow talking while keeping all those pearly whites still in view, “just feel free to pay as you check out.” Raven was certain she was going to find a way to voodoo the pair of them the moment they left.

When they were tucked away inside of the elevator going straight up to the sixty-first floor, Raven rounded on Damian.

“ _Timothy_?” she asked with some annoyance. Damian had the grace to at least look somewhat ashamed.

“Tim Drake is my secondary alias,” he told her, “it would be on the very foolish side to continue sliding my cards under the name ‘Jason Todd’…”

It should have annoyed her more than it did, but Raven let it roll off her shoulders with ease. Then the next obvious thing came up.

“Sooo,” she began skeptically, this time avoiding Damian’s gaze and folding her arms, “you and _Grace,_ huh?”

Damian merely sighed deeply then remained in what he apparently thought was a dignified silence.

It was like a grander version of her apartment. Wide windows in a living area gave them a nearly 180 degree viewing angles of Coast City’s beaches.

But Raven only had eyes for Damian, dropping his bags, watching her just as intensely.

“How long can you stay?” he asked, his emeralds smoldering.

“A couple of days,” she swallowed, already thinking of her plan, “but I’ll be back after.”

“We’ll have to actually talk at some point you know,” she continued as he walked closer to her, “it can’t wait forever.”

“I know,” he agreed softly, “but it can wait awhile longer.”

And if Grace had been jealous of their hand holding, she would have been absolutely decimated by the heat of which he kissed her.

~

“I never hurt much of anybody.”

Raven lifted her head from his chest and eyed Damian skeptically. He met her gaze and eye rolled.

“Alright, fine, a few bad guys here or there.”

“You set a mansion on fire with a mob boss still inside,” said Raven blandly. Damian’s mouth twisted.

“Those are the ones who have to get snuffed out,” he said coolly. “There will always be more lower guys. Sheep, dispersing into thin numbers if you scratch the shepherd. That’s how you stop large operations.”

“If you had everything you needed, why not just turn them in, Damian? Lock them up and throw away the key.”

Raven felt Damian’s irritation and saw it in his deepening frown.

“Because those kind of guys will always pay someone on the outside to form a new key and open the cell doors again,” he spat, “that’s why Gotham has remained the way it is. I swear my father has been busting the same heads for twenty years now…”

“Your father is a good man,” Raven told him gently. She felt Damian want to argue with that fact… but found he couldn’t. He softened and Raven rested her cheek on his chest again, still looking up at him.

“How has he been?” Damian asked, looking away, though his arm came around Raven’s shoulders to hold her. “I haven’t been able to keep up with him much. Or anyone else for that matter, except public knowledge.”

“He wasn’t… alright for a long while. But people helped him through it. He and Dick and Alfred all leaned on each other a lot.”

Damian grimaced. “Story of his life, I suppose.”

“I’ve actually had a lot of long late night talks with your dad,” said Raven, “though I’m not his biggest fan at the moment…”

Damian huffed a laugh. “I never would have predicted that one.”

Raven smiled up at him. “Does it upset you he found another bird to go patrolling with?” she asked, to which Damian responded with an incredulous stare.

“You went patrolling with Batman?”

“I spent many night’s in Gotham. A lot of Gotham’s underbelly was surprised when the Batman showed up with a magical partner for once.”

“Well, I’ll be,” mused Damian, staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully. His eyes came back to Raven’s after a moment.

“Grayson?”

Now it was Raven’s turn to grimace. “Dick probably took it even worse. He began staying in Gotham a lot afterwards, sticking to the Bat-family rather than the Titans. Pretty much living there. Drinking a lot, but he’s sobered up quite a bit from what I can tell. But he and Kori eventually broke it off. She was so heart-broken… and then he started dating Barbara.” Damian rolled his eyes skyward.

“That girl was never quite right for him,” muttered Damian. “Just because you grew up with somebody doesn’t mean anything.”

“Well, they didn’t last long,” Raven carried on, “not even a year later and he was avoiding her at all costs.”

They shared a small chuckle of amusement at their friend’s expense. Then Damian’s eyes found the ceiling again and Raven felt him reluctantly approach something.

“And… you and Garfield?” he asked, closing his green eyes. Raven stared at him.

“We aren’t actually together,” she told him, trying to will eye contact, but all he did was snort. “I’m serious!”

“Tell that to his Tweeter page,” said Damian in that bored manner again. Raven now stared at him in confusion. He finally met her eye, cocking an eyebrow as though he dared he to challenge it.

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

“Have you really not seen?” asked Damian dryly. He reached for his phone and seemed to look something up. When he showed it to her, Raven nearly dropped the device.

_Gents, no matter how much time your girl needs, make sure you give it to her and make sure you’re there when she needs you!_

Underneath was a picture of the two of them she recalled reluctantly taking when they first started this, whatever the hell they were this whole time. What disgusted her even more was the flood of enthusiastic responses.

“BB Rae?” Raven questioned, making a face.

“The official ship name,” Damian told her almost painfully, “for Beast Boy and Raven of the Titans.”

“Damnit, Garfield,” groaned Raven, sitting up in bed with her head in her hands. She had no idea he’d been doing this. Making them official online without her knowledge? What the hell.

But her anger froze cold as her phone vibrated and his name popped up on the screen. Whatever he’d done, this was the ninth time he was trying to get ahold of her to make sure she was alright.

She frowned deeply at the screen.

“You should pick up.”

Raven whirled her head around to stare disbelievingly at Damian, who was watching her with melted eyes.

“The team is going to be seriously worried about you, Raven,” he said softly. Raven grimaced and looked down at her phone again. Almost cursing herself, she picked it up and answered.

“Hi.”

_“Raven! Oh, thank God. Where are you? I came by your apartment just now and you weren’t there.”_

“I stayed the night, but came back to Wayne Manor,” she lied. She could feel Damian’s amusement behind her. “I wanted Dick to have his time with his father alone before I consulted him.”

_“Rae… I’m so sorry. Dick came back today and told Kori everything. We can’t believe Damian’s been alive this whole time.”_

“I can’t either,” Raven said truthfully. At that moment, said person wrapped his arms around her and kissed the bare of her shoulder.

_“When are you coming back? Are you really mad at him?”_

That was an obtuse question, Raven thought.

“A few days,” she told him. “Bruce and I are really talking. And then there’s Alfred… it’s a mess. I’ll be at training Monday morning.”

_“Do you… I mean, I… I can go to Gotham, if you want,”_ Garfield murmured as Damian kissed along Raven’s back, erupting goosebumps and getting her ready, “ _whatever you need. I’ll be there for you.”_

“Thank you, Gar,” she sighed, closing her eyes. A part of her felt awful that she was ready to drop the phone that very second. The rest of her was feeling too divine to care. “But this needs to be between us. I’ve been here for Bruce this whole time as he’s lied to me. It’s one of those one-on-one things.”

_“Okay. Well, when you come back then. Anything you need. I-“_

“I have to go,” said Raven quickly. She dropped her phone, ending the call guilt free as she turned and collided impatiently with Damian, thinking in the back of her mind she’d find some way to let him down as easy as possible.

Nothing was keeping her from Damian ever again.

~

They had a great few days together.

Raven had to keep a hood up at almost all times but the hotel room so that no one could recognize her, and she felt the need to test every bit of room service sent up in case Grace poisoned it, but she found herself chuckling and out-right laughing more than she’d done in perhaps the last three years in total. They went to a snazzy bar that Raven recognized from the photos they’d first seen Damian remove the Red Hood helmet.

It was nighttime, but the classy room certainly wasn’t crowded. Raven loved the musky design of the place. She recognized the barman as the waiter who Damian had shaken hands with in the photo. He was finely dressed with a clean cut and elegant hair, seeming to be airing out some red wine for a customer.

“Mr. Ja-“ the waiter tried greeting as they took a seat, but Damian had stopped him short with a finger and leaned in. The barman mirrored his movement.

“It’s ‘Tim’ now, Matrix,” whispered Damian. The waiter straightened up immediately.

“Mr. Tim!” he cried buoyantly. Raven smirked as he sat out the glass of wine he’d been holding in front of her and attendant a beautiful blonde across the bar who was leaning in towards him eagerly.

“If I may, my lady, you strike me as the “on the rocks” type,” said Matrix smoothly. The blonde smiled wider.

“And what can I buy for _you?_ ” she asked. Matrix’s smile went more sly.

“A dealer never does his own supply, love,” he answered in cool fashion, “but your next round is on the house.”

Matrix put Raven and Damian through a sort of wine tasting and the new couple were surprised to learn that the other had a pallet well enough to match his father’s. It was a great night again. Raven wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Raven and Damian bid Matrix farewell for now, promising they’d return, and spent the night absorbed into each other.

~

The team was surprised to see her come Monday morning. Kori had approached her before training set off, concerned, but Raven told her (and the team, whom was listening) that her and Bruce buried the hatchet and that she would be doing a wine-tasting with him in a few days as a sort of peace-making act.

“I recall him telling me that,” came a voice. Raven tried not to pale as she turned around and saw Nightwing approach. Without his mask on, she stared into the blue of his eyes and knew he understood everything.

“One of the vineyards he bought north of Gotham, right?” Nightwing covered for her, lying smoothly. Raven could only manage a meek smile and nod. Dick infinitesimally nodded with her, not breaking eye contact.

“I’m happy you two are getting along,” he said heavily. Kori beamed at him and the rest of the team watched on wearily.

Training had gone as swell as ever. Raven teamed with Jaime and fought until they were defeated by Wonder Girl and Superboy. Conner had tried to high five Donna, but she’d turned away as he raised his hand and walked stiffly off.

Which is what led to Conner grabbing Raven by the shoulder and turning her around as everyone tried to clear off for the day.

“Can we talk?” he asked politely. Raven nodded and saw Garfield watching them curiously. Sighing inwardly, she allowed Conner to lead them to the other side of the training facility for them to speak in private.

“What’s going on?” Raven asked, leaning against the wall. Conner looked uncomfortable and almost guilty of something.

“I was hoping for your advice on something,” he admitted with a sad undertone, “on… what I was hoping for…”

Raven raised a brow and felt exactly where this was unexpectedly going.

“You want to make things right with Donna.”

Conner looked up, a downwards turn at the corner of his mouth, and nodded.

“She means more to me than anything,” Conner said to her, almost bitterly like it was a truth he had tried to avoid, “but she doesn’t even look at me most of the time. How do I get her to- I just want to say I’m sorry.” He looked desperate. “I don’t know how to do that. She forgave you for that… that night. Why has she never forgiven me?”

Raven winced at the memory. A party after a Titan’s victory gone horribly wrong. A kiss they never wanted to happen even ten minutes prior of it happening and never again once they’d finished the tryst.

“Yes, Conner, she forgave me,” sighed Raven, “but you never did anything. You tucked the deed under a rug and acted like she’d forget about it. I _apologized_. You didn’t. You didn’t explain to Donna it was a drunk blunder that you regretted and it wasn’t up to me to vouch for you. I was someone who also made a major mistake. Then you ran around some months later sleeping around with all of the _Superboy_ groupies you could get your hands on. You _chose_ not to remedy a bad situation with an open heart.”

Conner sheepishly rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, grimacing. “Yikes, Rae. Tell me how you really feel about it.”

Raven rolled her eyes, thinking he’d probably already done irreparable damage and wasn’t competent enough emotionally to fix whatever could be. But she helped, directing Conner on how best to get out what he felt inside and when she left, she was smiling, until the moment she ran into Beast Boy waiting outside for her with his arms crossed, that is.

“Hey,” was all he said, watching Raven cautiously with those yellow eyes.

“Hi,” she said back, waiting stiffly. She felt his emotions boiling many different ways.

“How are you?” she asked to break the ice. She watched him sigh and start to walk over, putting her on edge. There was no way she could kiss him again. As sorry as she was for how Raven already knew this was going to end, she had no more desire whatsoever for Garfield. And it pained her to lead him on. Thankfully, he stopped a few feet away.

“I’m alright,” he said, “but how are you?”

“Alright,” she answered quickly, wondering if Damian was still waiting where she’d ask him to be. There was no way they could have planned for all these hold ups.

“Have you been avoiding me, Rae?” asked Garfield sadly. Raven grimaced, not wanting to give him an outright _yes._

“You know I needed my alone time, Beast Boy,” she said softly, wanting to cut out the intimacy of using his real name, “other than Kori, he was my best friend.”

Garfield nodded. “I know… but I miss you. Let’s hang out?”

Raven nodded, grimly setting it in her mind that she would tell him everything… just not yet.

“Soon,” she said, “Saturday morning, we’ll have tea and… talk.”

Garfield grinned at last. Raven was worried he’d come in for a kiss, in which case all this would come crashing down. Fortunately, he turned and waved, making off.

Not giving it another thought, Raven made sure the coast was clear as she teleported away.

~

Lavender tea perfumed Raven’s apartment and the helmet of the Red Hood decorated her dinner table like a centerpiece.

Fists clenching the sheets, Raven’s eyes rolled up as Damian railed her from behind. The claps of their sex were almost as loud as her moaning. Just a few more seconds as her toes curled and…

“Yes!” screamed Raven. “DAMIAN!” Biting her pillow to keep the volume down, Raven felt limp as she went out of breath, but shakily kept active: Damian hadn’t finished tis round yet.

Backed up against the wall, Damian stood naked, sweating, and firm as he watched Raven drop to her knees before him, emerald eyes consuming. Rubbing him out first with her pale hand, Raven took him in her mouth, keeping her amethyst eyes up on his face as his breathing went unsteady and he came undone. Raven felt his over powering lust as he watched her give him head, her cheeks sucking as it went in and out quickly. His eyes shut and teeth clenched down hard as he got near to tipping the edge. Raven left the head of him in her mouth and let him finish there with a loud groan, gasping her name.

She swallowed and wiped her mouth. It wasn’t so bad anymore. And the great satisfaction of her true partner was more than worth it in Raven’s eyes.

The night followed with their bodies entangled. Each time feeling better than the last, every moment perfectly performed. Raven loving everything he did. Nothing less than satisfactory.

Damian slightly trembled as he gently held her hand in bed, pressing their foreheads together. Raven lost in a world of green. Damian lost in a story of deep violet.

Raven had to know something.

“Would you stop killing?” she asked in a whisper.

“Would you leave the Titans?” he asked just as softly.

There was no need to say anymore. The answer for the other was in their eyes all too clearly.

~

Much of the next few days were like this. Training in the morning. A quick talk with her team, dodging Garfield, chuckling at Conner trying to get closer and closer to Donna, loving the looks between Kori and Dick, and then seeing Damian in every second of free-time she had.

What was amazing was when Bruce had called her. He did from time-to-time, but this time it was because Raven figured Nightwing had let him in on the secret whom she was spending her days with. Perhaps he had wanted to know how it was going, or what kind of influence she was having over his son’s other life. Or maybe it was he just wished to hear his voice in the background.

“We should go talk to him,” said Raven as she’d hung up the call. Damian was shirtless at the suite’s table, eating some pickup ramen from Icharo’s that Raven had brought.

“Why?” asked Damian nastily. Raven raised an eyebrow at him.

“He misses you,” she said, “Alfred, too. As much as I hate to think of it this way… Bruce is actually the only reason you’re still here. He walked away from Talia reviving you instead of stopping her.”

Damian scowled, but nodded. “Fine. The weekend.”

“Friday,” Raven set, not wanting him to push it off any longer. “I’m taking us over there right after training.”

Damian shrugged, his eyes glancing down Raven’s body, who was in only her underwear, obviously interested in more pressing matters. Raven smiled softly, tossing her phone aside, but heard it going off the moment it hit the counter. She glanced back at it, then realized it wasn’t hers going off at all, but Damian’s. She checked the screen.

_I miss you so much Jason! Please come back for this!_

A picture of a completely naked blondie accompanied the message. Raven moved her narrowed eyes from her fake breasts to Damian sitting there with an innocent expression on his face.

“What?” he asked, eyebrows crinkled. She showed him the text and he looked taken back. “That was from a long time ago.”

“Your list is never-ending,” said Raven irritably, typing into the phone.

“What are you doing?” asked Damian curiously, lifting his head up to get a better angle.

“Blocking her,” answered Raven shortly. Damian laughed loudly.

~

Friday came with a very interesting way to start off the day. Raven had walked into the Titans conference room shortly after seven, at a time when she supposed the rest of the team were still getting ready at their respective residences, to find Kori butt naked, riding Dick passionately.

“Raven!” she squealed, turning in horror over her shoulder and covering her breasts. Diving quickly out of the room, Raven made her way down the hall in a hurry just to make sure no one else was coming. Thankfully, the coast was clear. She waited down the hall trying to clear that image forever from her mind, an act that wasn’t helped by Starfire appearing at her side fifteen minutes later, walking skittishly.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” she began awkwardly.

“You know people have bedrooms for that sort of thing,” said Raven, not looking at Kori at all, pink in the face.

“It wasn’t planned,” said Starfire, “it just… happened.”

Raven let out a deep breath, praying for patience and understanding and maturity. And for this situation to not be so awkward. But she had just caught an eyeful of her best friend’s backside. She turned to meet Kori in her apologetic green eyes, trying not to wince.

“Has it _been_ happening?” she asked conversationally. An uptick came to Kori’s mouth.

“A few times,” she admitted, “over the last few days. We haven’t even talked about it yet, but… yeah.”

Raven almost wanted to cover her ears. But instead she closed her eyes and said, “I guess I’m happy for you guys. Seems as if it’s working out.”

Kori glowed and her eyes swooned. “Maybe,” she said.

Training went a little differently that day. Easy drills of partnering up and attacking. Raven was surprised to see Wallace and Cassandra work so well together, even more so at the comradery Donna and Conner showed. She clapped his hand after they pulled out a perfect assault and Raven wondered if he’d actually talked to her and managed to work things out.

When training was over, Nightwing and Starfire addressed the team side-by-side.

“Batman has caught up with Damian,” Nightwing announced loudly, “it seems that he’s gotten through. Red Hood… shouldn’t be a problem anymore.”

“That guy,” muttered Conner grimly.

“Oh, _hermano,”_ said Jaime with real concern and sad eyes.

Raven looked at the team leaders back and forth after Nightwing’s obvious lies. She felt Kori seem to be… in the know.

Either way, the Titans dropped their man-hunt master board for the Red Hood. And Raven left the room with a wide smile when they were dismissed before anyone could stop and chat with her.

“You know I don’t expect this to go well,” said Damian a couple of hours later.

“Neither do I if that’s your attitude,” said Raven dryly. Damian gave her a short look before gesturing for her to proceed. Doing so, Raven created a portal from thin air for them both to walk through. She stepped through first, turning and admiring Damian’s first steps back into Wayne Manor in over three years. His emerald eyes looked around the foyer as the light of her energy faded.

“Time doesn’t change this place,” was what he said.

“I believe that was always the intent, Master Damian.”

They both turned to the right and saw Alfred Pennyworth standing in the doorway. Ever the regal gentleman, Alfred’s face did not betray the swelling emotions Raven felt coming from deep inside him.

“Pennyworth,” said Damian, his jaw twitching. He couldn’t stop his eyes widening as a man whom was almost his exact duplicate, but just over doubled his age and with blue eyes, joined Alfred at the shoulder.

“Father…”

Bruce praised his son. Their jaws worked in the same exact fashion.

“You’re nearly as tall as me now…”

~

It had gone better than ever expected. There wasn’t laughing and hugging like normal family reunions (there never were with these people, Raven knew) but to her that only made it seem more real.

She listened rather than talked as conversations flowed together effortlessly. Alfred even sat down for once.

The only heat that appeared was a friendly debate between Bruce and Damian of what Chateau vineyard was better. Raven rolled her eyes at that one.

“Raven informs me you’re still seeing the criminal,” said Damian, setting his glass down that evening.

“Ex-criminal,” Bruce reminded them all, flashing his royal blue eyes to Raven fondly.

“There are no such things as…” Damian had begun, but after stopping and thinking it through, he muttered, “well, maybe there are.”

And the rest of them were glad to hear it.

They spent the night in Raven’s room rather than Damian’s old one. He felt that that was something, too, that he needed to let go. The next morning, he had a hand over her mouth as they performed their morning ritual. But she had to decline a late breakfast at the manor.

“I can’t, today’s the day I meet Gar,” she told Damian, feeling sick about it again. The sun was getting higher and she was late. “I’ll be back in a few hours, I promise…”

Damian was a gentleman about it, maturely understanding the sensitivity of her situation. Gratefully, she let him kiss her knuckles before she departed, hoping to get in a quick shower at her place before she met him at her usual spot for tea.

Raven landed back in her own living room and wiped her forehead. She was still feeling hot from their quickie. Knowing she was still sweating from it, she idly wondered what to throw on as she’d probably be taking off for Wayne Manor right after as she hurried for the shower.

Stopping dead cold as she heard a familiar whooshing sound from behind her as she pushed her bedroom door open.

Turning around slowly, she saw Beast Boy sitting at her kitchen table with his hands folded, staring at the ground with an unusually mirthless face. It was as if someone had zapped kindness and joy right out of him.

“Beast Boy,” breathed Raven, “what- what are you doing _in_ here?” she asked, afraid of whatever his answer was going to be.

Garfield Logan still stared at the woodwork of her floor with a sorrowful expression. “You were late,” he said softly, “I waited on you at the coffee shop. Thought maybe you’d just slept in.” His eyes made a slow glance at the two tall takeaway cups on her table. In her distractedness, she missed everything.

“Thought I’d come spoil you with how I could,” he said, still not looking at her, “and when you weren’t here, I thought I’d wait. I had a plan. So I turned into a cute Labrador puppy, just curled up on the chair waiting for you… I thought you’d like that…”

Raven felt cold as he shut his eyes tightly in pain.

“I swear I can still smell him on you…”

Raven’s throat tightened. A part of her felt disgusted she couldn’t even think of a genuine apology. She’d planned to let him down in any way not like _this_.

Garfield stood tall and his somber yellow eyes found Raven at last. They were empty for the first time Raven had ever known him.

“You could have told me,” he choked, that breaking emotion coming through, “you could have told me, Rae. I didn’t have to find out like this.”

Raven shut her eyes to block it out. “I am so sorry… I know you don’t deserve this.”

“No, I don’t,” Garfield agreed quietly. He waited for her eyes to open, but they didn’t. Obviously, she just wanted this to go away. Garfield tightly swallowed as he realized she didn’t even want him to fight for her.

“It’s always been him, hasn’t it?” he demanded throatily. Raven nodded, tears threatening to form behind her closed eyelids.

“Yes,” she managed, “I’m sorry. It’s never not been him.”

She felt him breaking, but couldn’t manage herself to watch. “I’m such a fool…” was all she heard. Then steps came and her door opened and closed. The noise faded, but the grief she’d placed in his heart was still there, blaring to the heavens.

~

Don’t criticize what you can’t understand. Oh, the times, they are a changing.

Donna and Conner had breakfast together before training some days later and could be heard laughing before they were ever seen. Raven swore they never once broke eye contact.

Wallace was the new superb member of the team. He was just too powerful to beat, though Raven didn’t try nearly as hard as he did in training anymore. But every time he dropped either Jaime or Donna or Conner he’d flash a wide ear-to-ear toothy smile Cassandra’s way and she’d give one right back. The future of the Titans were in great hands.

Garfield missed several days over the next couple of weeks and once Raven brought Damian to a training one morning, where he just happened to be absent, holding his hand, they all understood. Kori was the only one not to look surprised. As Nightwing had been staying at her apartment all week, Raven guessed there were no more secrets between the two again.

The Titans were given the full story of what went down after Brother Blood had shot Damian. Donna cried. Conner damn well nearly so. Damian told them he didn’t blame them one bit. And maybe he didn’t. But there was forever a wedge that had him hold his former teammates at arm’s length. He truly was a Titan no more.

The Red Hood had not acted as a crime-lord dictator for a while now. Raven watched Damian hold the helmet in his hands, gazing over it.

“I don’t know what to do anymore,” he admitted sadly. “I can’t go back to being… _this._ But I can’t be a Titan anymore either.”

Raven watched him before a sort of inspiration seized her.

“So we’ll be something new,” she said, wrapping an arm around him. Her fingers delicately touched his cheek, turning his gaze towards her.

“You and I,” she whispered, their noses nearly touching, “we can go somewhere new. _Be_ something new.” Damian’s eyebrow cocked.

“What did you have in mind?”

~

“You’re sure about this?” asked Donna.

It was a lovely late February day. The sky was bright as warmer winds were finding their way to Jump City at long last. But Raven and Damian would be making their leave with the cold, just as she was telling Donna and Kori.

“A little rash, don’t you think?” wondered Donna.

“Strange that it doesn’t feel like it,” mused Raven, though she understood that, from their perspective at least, it must have seemed so. Kori seemed lost in thought.

“I’ll miss you so much,” frowned Donna. “You’ll come visit?”

“Of course,” Raven nodded. “And besides, we’ll all be Justice Leaguers someday anyway.”

Donna laughed and Kori smiled. Raven could feel her thoughts churning and wondered what she was up to, but didn’t found out until the next evening when there was a knock on her door. Raven answered it as Damian showered and found Kori standing there, smiling.

“Now, are _you_ sure about this?” it was Raven’s turn to ask. Starfire nodded.

“If you guys wouldn’t mind,” said Kori, her green globes finding Damian as he walked into the room curiously, “Dick and I would like to leave with you. Start a new chapter.”

The girls watched for Damian’s reaction, who considered. “Well,” he said, “Grayson _does_ know the area…”

“We’d be closer to your father,” smiled Raven, matching Kori.

“Big whoop,” said Damian, letting his eyes roll. Raven and Kori looked back at each other happily before Raven faltered.

“What about the team?” she asked. “The Titans need a leader.”

“The Titans have a leader,” confirmed Kori, smiling in a knowing way. It took Raven less than a second.

“I guess Donna is the only one who could fill your shoes,” said Raven thoughtfully. They both ignored Damian’s _TT_ from the kitchen.

But from then on it was decided. A week later, Raven’s belongings were packed. The apartment was hers no more. She, Damian, Dick, and Kori stood I the empty living room, a glass of red wine from one of the very expensive bottles Bruce Wayne had provided them with in each of their hands, clinking them together in a toast.

“You wall just wait,” said Dick cheerily, his free arm around Kori’s waist, “Bludhaven isn’t _quite as bad_ as Gotham.”

“Oof, now the bar is set,” grinned Raven. Damian huffed a laugh into his wine glass.

“It _sounds_ like the Frankenstein version of Gotham,” complained Kori, but Raven felt her eagerness to set way nonetheless.

“They’ll be much better with a new team on constant stand-by,” smirked Dick. His blue eyes met Damian’s, who returned the smile before sliding a smoldering look over to Raven. They all raised their glasses again.

“To the Outlaws.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things to say:
> 
> One- I hope my Red Hood purists aren't too mad. But this is a DamiRae line, after all.
> 
> Two- I tried to convey Raven in the spot of Batman in the actual Red Hood storyline here. In the way that Jason's death broke Batman, I wanted Damian's to break Raven. She was never the same after just as he wasn't.
> 
> Three- I know someone is going to feel like she didn't go about things the right way in those three years after and before Damian. She didn't. It's a human flaw. But when the drowning man is going down, he's always going to desperately grab hold of someone and take them down with them. t's saddening, but true. Damian's death left her bleeding and she just sought any and-aid that looked like might ease the hurt.
> 
> Four- I'm sorry for the rushed ending. I couldn't think of anything to add that wouldn't make it seem repetitive (maybe I'm just mentally weary after writing non-stop all damn week), but AS for that ending... I don't have plans to make a sequel. Perhaps one day, but I wouldn't hold my breath. My primary concern is The Life We Could've Had.
> 
> Five- I want a quick shoutout to my good friend, Lavender Teacups, who takes the time to read all my nonsense first before publishing. I haven't earned an A+ sticket yet, but I'll settle for a passing grade for now.
> 
> And finally- I'm *always* looking for more DamiRae content to sink my teeth into. I was wondering if you guys had any good recommendations? If you want to know what some of my current faves are, I'm keeping up with
> 
> 'Sealed Fate', a new Greek Mythology AU by Lavender Teacups herself which is going to be GLORIOUS.
> 
> 'Inaudible Irritation' is a new favorite by the queen, Queenzie! I'm also going to start following her new PIRATE AU 'Tidal Waves' RELIGIOUSLY! 
> 
> 'DamiRae One-Shots' by MageWarrior has also caught a lot of my interest lately! They're quite well done for anyone of the smutty tendencies. : ))
> 
> Also, my eternal favorite, 'Feudal AU' by AnJay. AnJay, we haven't heard from you in a while. I hope you're alright.


	3. I Can't wait (A Christmas Special) (Universe 0)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had wanted to make this one longer, but I've run out of time essentially and really wanted to get this out before the big day. I hope you enjoy.

Caroling and Christmas decorations filled downtown Jump City with breezy, cool winter winds giving it the heart of true holiday spirit. Raven and Starfire of the Titans left a shop with bags in hand, trying to keep the wind out of their face while looking for the nearest electronics store.

“Do you think they’ll still have any of those consoles in stock?” asked Kori as they spotted one across the street.

“Only one way to find out,” spoke Raven over the caroling nearby. It was as if the small crowd gathered were trying to inch closer to them sideways as they sang. Undoubtedly, she and Kori were being recognized by everyone passing by at least.

They made on their way across the downtown road, being hasty to avoid cars and cautious to avoid bumping other pedestrians who seemed to not always be just out of range of their bubble. Raven saw a red Lamborghini nearly crash as it came around the bend and the driver lost focus catching a glimpse of Starfire.

“This is why online shopping is the thing to do,” muttered Raven as they got to the door of Fry’s Electronics.

“Oh, come on, Raven,” said Kori, still far too jubilant, “we rarely get out of the tower together. And besides! It’s Christmas!”

“That’s kind of the whole reason I agreed to come,” said Raven dryly, but Kori wasn’t listening, already walking into the store in gleeful holiday anticipation. Raven sighed and followed suit.

She didn’t really know what to do here. Raven knew nothing about electronics and Starfire, barely more. ‘PlayStation’ was the only word she could even remember because both Garfield and Jaime moaned on and on about how having the new one for the living area would be wonderful. Subtle hints, thought Raven.

The store was nearly depleted, so she didn’t have much hope. The clerk behind the counter did a take when he saw who walked in, however. Maybe he could help them come up with something.

“Hi,” the scruffy clerk said. He looked to be about Dick’s age and wearing a Santa hat. “Welcome to Fry’s. I’m Fry. What can I help you ladies with?”

“Greetings Fry,” said Kori happily, “we’re looking for, er, a Station of Play,” she said rather importantly.

The clerk understandably looked confused. “Uhm, you mean a PlayStation?”

Kori made a face. “What an odd word.”

“It is,” Raven agreed, “but yeah, that one.”

“We’ve been out for weeks ladies,” the clerk reluctantly admitted, “I’m sorry.”

Kori looked crestfallen. Raven was unbothered.

“They could do with more books and less surround sound anyways,” she said, but Fry was rubbing the back of his neck as if he were doing some quick deliberating in his head.

“I actually do have a PS5 left in the back,” he said, “it’s actually for my son.”

“We could never-“ Kori was quickly saying, but Fry cut her off.

“There’s a trade I have in mind,” he explained, “my son, he plays for a team in the local soccer league. The eight-year-old division. His team’s name is actually the Jump City Titans, ha ha… But, well, he really wants this console, but I don’t think _anything_ would make him happier than seeing the _actual_ Titans?”

“You want us to cheer him on at one of his games?” clarified Raven. “We could do that.” Fry smiled wide.

“That would be the greatest present ever,” he cried enthusiastically.

“Well, Mr. Fry, you’ve got yourself a deal,” agreed Kori, shaking his hand, pulling back quickly as she realized she nearly crushed his.

It was a glorious afternoon out. Though there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the winter sun was never quite as bright and awful as it could be during summer. Raven walked side-by-side with Kori past more downtown shops, now enjoying the fading caroling in the background.

Until Kori turned to her as they walked and brought stress back with a simple question.

“What are you getting Damian?”

Crap.

Damian did not like much and he especially didn’t care to accumulate stuff. His room was as minimalistic as it got. He liked watches? But when Raven walked into Audemars Piguet’s local boutique first thing when they got to downtown she found every instrument there tens of thousands of dollars out of her price range. He wore a lot of sweatshirts? But everything he wore was tailor-made by someone the Wayne family’s butler commissioned. And it’s not like Damian particularly cared about style anyhow. And of course, there wasn’t an ancient sword shop with a historic katana around that he’d appreciate…

“I have no idea what to get him,” she admitted, watching the sidewalk as they walked along.

“Nonsense,” said Kori in surprise, “ _Dick_ has no idea what to get him. If anyone knows what to get Damian for Christmas, it’s you!”

So no pressure.

“You’re the one who gifted him Titus,” Kori carried on as explanation.

“Titus wasn’t necessarily a gift,” disagreed Raven, “he was something Damian needed at the time. After Slade and everything, he was left with a hole and didn’t know how to fill it.”

“Titus is his most treasured possession,” Kori lightly argued.

“Cause if he doesn’t make sure he’s fed, I’ll blast him during practice.”

“He lets Titus sleep on the bed with him.”

Raven stopped and frowned at her friend. “Howww exactly do you know that?”

“Dick,” Starfire replied easily, “there’s not a secret he can keep. He’s walked in Damian’s room at the manor and seen them.”

Raven wasn’t sure what to say to that. So that’s how he had dog hair on him sometimes.

Titans Tower wasn’t outwardly very festive as they didn’t think Bruce Wayne would want to pay for the thousands of lights it would take to cover the outlining of the building, but the common space used between the inhabitants was now filled with a twenty-foot Christmas tree neatly decorated with displays from each member of the team and stockings hung on the wall, already stuffed. Christmas was two days away and Raven swore she could still hear the hypnotizing seasonal music in the confinements of her home. As she and Koriand’r wrapped the presents they bought the boys and set them under the tree that evening, Damian himself came in with Titus at his side. For some odd reason she couldn’t explain, Raven felt caught and stood up rather quickly.

“Hi,” she said. Damian was looking on curiously. There were a few presents stacked in his hands as well. Titus barked.

“Hello Damian,” said Kori, and Raven could tell there was amusement in her voice, “did some late shopping of your own, I see.” Damian looked away from the girls awkwardly.

“Grayson informed me that the stocking stuffers selected alone were likely not adequate,” he said. He came forward and knelt down to place the new presents right by theirs. Raven saw one addressed with her name specifically on it and fought to control her face as if she’d seen nothing at all. Damian stood back up, unexpectedly examining the large green wrapped gift Raven and Kori got to the receiver named ‘Boys’.

“You managed to obtain a PlayStation 5 this late into the season?” he asked, throwing them both off.

“Okay, x-ray vision,” said Kori, placing her hands on her hips, “how did-“

“It’s the exact size of the box the console comes in,” explained Damian as if this was obvious knowledge, “you put that box inside of another box and _then_ wrap it to fool them,” he finished for them and began walking away, Titus obediently at his side. Once he was clear, Raven and Starfire exchanged a look. After two-thirds of an hour figuring out _how_ to gift wrap, it appeared they had more work to do…

Christmas Eve arrived in gentle holiday fashion. The winds were not as sharp, the Titans were a little bit more inviting of the tunes that Starfire sang along to, and an air of togetherness seemed to be infecting the tower.

Damian joined Raven in making some tea that late morning while everyone else was at the front watching cartoons and goofing off together. Pulling out a couple of mugs while the kettle went off, she decided to ask him what his plans for tomorrow were.

“Father is handling a stake-out at the moment and he bought Pennyworth two tickets to Italy to pick up his new present,” said Damian, pouring the hot tea for them both. “A pasta maker,” he said in response to Raven’s questioning look. She laughed.

“Why two tickets?” she asked.

“Pennyworth has a daughter about Grayson’s age,” said Damian. “They _should_ spend more time together.”

Raven nodded, adding in dollops of honey and taking enjoyment in her favorite part: the first sip. Divine. Peeking sideways at Damian, she asked, “So no Wayne Manor?”

“And no God awful Wayne Manor parties,” sighed Damian in relief, closing his eyes upwards as if he’d had a long day simply thinking about it. Raven smiled.

“Aw, come on now, they weren’t all that bad,” came Dick’s voice. She and Damian looked around as he proceeded into the kitchen and pulled a sports drink bottle out of the fridge. Twisting the cap off, he smirked at the duo.

“So what ya two doin’ back here avoiding everyone else?” he asked, a gleam in his eye.

Damian’s hard glare and Raven’s stare gave away nothing. Damian lifted his mug and said, “Give you two guesses, Nightwing.”

“ _Ooh,_ you don’t want to hear my guesses,” Dick confidently said, smirking at their reaction. He walked away, sipping his over-sugared beverage from a plastic bottle, leaving Raven and Damian with nothing more to do than try not to awkwardly glance at each other.

It remained a fine day until the red alarms of the tower blared a few hours later.

“On Christmas Eve!” Beast Boy complained.

“Garfield, keep it together,” said Dick sternly, already in Nightwing mode, “Titans, go!”

Raven fly beside Beetle and Beast Boy, Damian on the ground beneath them on his red motorcycle. Nightwing led the way with Starfire as her voice came in their ear.

_“There’s a reported raid coming from Palmer Technologies local factory.”_

“They produce some of the world’s most experimental equipment,” furthered Damian. “Nothing can get away from that building.”

“Any suspected culprit?” asked Jaime as they made their way past the bay to the barren west side of Jump City’s city limits where the factory was.

“ _Haven’t heard of any jailbreaks,”_ said Nightwing over comms, “ _be prepared for a new player. Everyone, eyes up.”_

Damian punched his bike into high gear and burnt off out ahead of them. The Titans put their own boosters on, hoping to finish up whatever seasonal tragedy this was looking to be quickly.

It was pandemonium. The factory lied in ruins, a good deal of its top blown off, probably as a dramatic entryway for some over-the-top villain. There were some workers still fleeing the building, screaming in terror as the Titans arrived. Raven swooped down to grab hold of Damian’s hand and brought him up the same as Starfire did Nightwing, opting for the theatrically made entrance in the roof. The Titans dove on through.

Flashbacks of H.I.V.E infiltrations from years past came to Raven. There were a bunch of minor league henchmen in grey suits from head-to-toe wondering around quickly moving technology that Raven couldn’t make heads-nor-tails of. Each of her hands loaded up with dark energy as they all simultaneously glanced up and gasped. Then a squeaky voice yelled, “Get them!”

Raven glanced to where the voice came from as the battle commenced… but didn’t see anybody at first. Then from behind a few of the minions attempting to rush to get equipment to the transportation emerged what looked like a small boy in a creepy, smiling mask. The figure barely stood to the waist height of the men around it.

“Toyman?” asked Nightwing incredulously as he punched out a henchman. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you one of Superman’s baddies?”

“Yes, I would just stick around a city where I can never win,” answered Toyman sarcastically from beneath his weird mask, “you dolt. I should have come here a long time ago. _Bring out my new toy_!”

Raven blasted several goons clear at once. The rest of the team was making quick work of the rest despite the barrage of blasters flying everywhere. Damian grapple-hooked away from a small explosion and Jaime blasted another hole through the roof as he missed a drone hovering in.

“Hope Ray Palmer’s got insurance,” cracked Beast Boy before turning into an elephant and charging through henchmen stupidly forming an orderly queue.

“We could have tried for _not_ total devastation,” suggested Nightwing, easily taking out two henchmen with his escrima sticks. And that moment cost him. A lucky blast found its way to Nightwing’s knee and he dropped with a loud grimace of pain, vulnerable to more as Toyman was handed a heavy, complex-looking blaster and aimed it right at the eldest son of Batman.

“No!” shouted Kori. She and Raven dove in simultaneously as Beast Boy backtracked as well. Kori blasted two men away that were gunning for her boyfriend and Jaime did the same, kicking someone straight in the chin, causing them to fly ten feet back. Kori, Beetle, and Beast Boy guarded Nightwing, who was struggling to stand. Raven landed out just in front of them, her eyes forward as Toyman pointed that dangerous-looking weapon at them, preparing to fire. She saw Damian attempting to get to him but realized he wasn’t going to make it in the nick of time. Raven created a dark shield around them all to brace for impact as Toyman fired.

It was a strange, white energy beam. The moment it made contact with Raven’s construct, it outlined it. The Titans all glanced up in wonder as whatever Toyman had fired enveloped Raven’s shield in bright light. They felt no pain, but there was a blinding flash.

And then all was dark.

~

When Raven came around, she felt woozy. Everything around her was dark. Her teammates stirring behind her, she wondered if they’d been captured. Opening her eyes blearily, Raven found that they were in a very large, abandoned building. Every surface had a crack in it. Weeds were pushing up from the cement. Curious, she glanced.

“Wh-what?” groaned Garfield, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “Where are we?”

Nightwing looked around astonished as they all came to. “Is this… it can’t be. The Palmer factory?”

And so it was. The Titans all stood up now, staring around them in shock. It looked as if it hadn’t been tended to in a decade. Raven stared at the familiar gigantic hole in the roof.

“What the hell did that _diablo_ hit us with?” asked Jaime hoarsely. Nightwing and Starfire looked at each other, trying to figure out how to proceed. Raven exchanged a quick glance with Jaime and Gar before going cold at the realization that Damian was not with them. She and Nightwing turned to each other at the same time and she read it on his face.

“Robin,” he spoke in a frantic voice.

“Could he have been captured?” asked Beast Boy seriously.

“Not without chopping the toy into little bits,” growled Blue Beetle. Kori tried to take command.

“We need to-“ she started, but an unknown, and yet familiar, voice cut her off from the dark.

“Stay put for a couple of minutes.”

The Titans whirled in that same second, ready for war before the stranger even finished their sentence.

Emerging from the shadows was a tall, easy-going figure with their hands in their pockets that Raven felt no hostility from. They began speaking again before the light from outside was truly on them.

“You were wrong again, Scarab,” it said confusedly, “off by an _hour_. _Dios mio,_ what am I going to do with you?”

“Uhm, what?” wondered Beast Boy, looking sideways at Beetle. But Jaime looked even more confused than he was. Then their eyes all went wide as the figure finally revealed themselves, stepping out into the light shining down.

It was Jaime. But much older. And taller. He had an easy smile on his face, a thick beard growing from his sharp jawline, wrapped in a thick jacket with comfortable wool on the inside. He watched them with interest as they stared at him in amazement.

“Happy holidays,” said the older Jaime casually to break the tension. The Titans came out of their trance.

“Where are we..?” asked Nightwing in a hushed kind of voice.

“In the future,” replied elder Jaime. “Twelve years so, exactly. That fool Toyman never knew what he made that day. He _thought_ he created a toy to utterly destroy matter. All he really did was build the world’s first time machine and didn’t even properly know how to use it.”

“Time machine?” questioned Starfire.

“How exactly do we know you’re telling the truth?” demanded Jaime.

“Raven’s been scanning me for any deceit since I started talking,” said the older Jaime easily. His dark, but warm eyes flicked to her casually. “Right?”

Raven studied him. Everything about him was an open book. The other Titans looked to her for some kind of answer.

“That doesn’t always reveal everything,” she said sternly. Elder Jaime dropped his head.

“Oh, Raven, you’re more difficult than Damian sometimes,” he muttered to himself.

Damian.

“Where is he?” Nightwing demanded. “If you’re from the future, what’s happened?” Future Jaime raised his palm upwards in a _slow-down-and-calm-down_ manner.

“There’s no need to worry about Robin,” he said, “by the time you guys get back, he’ll have mopped up Toyman and his entire crew. We go back and watch the feed actually as video evidence. He goes ballistic after we disappear.”

“This is all a little much,” said Garfield uneasily. Raven silently agreed with him.

“It’ll all be fine,” said older Jaime. His attention turned to Starfire and Nightwing directly. “There are no technological means for you all to return to the past, but there _is_ a very powerful magic wielder that can boom you back with the right spell. Once you return, to Christmas Eve twelve years ago, John Constantine will have a spell on hand to wipe your minds of the last two days, cause that’s when you will be able to see him. Because, obviously, any of you remember a _thing_ that you see here could _drastically_ affect our time now.”

“Like the Flash Point theory?” asked Garfield in awe. Older Jaime frowned and shrugged.

“I’d rather not use that grim ass example, but, yeah, like the Flash Point,” he agreed.

“And if John wipes our minds,” pointed out Raven, narrowing her eyes in suspicion, “how exactly do you remember every detail?”

Future Jaime jutted a thumb to something behind him. “Constantine’s spell only works on _human_ minds. Scarab remembers every detail of this. He started sharing it with me a few days ago.”

“Twelve years and I’ve _still_ got this guy on my back?” moaned Jaime. A mad series of the bug’s noises started going off.

Older Jaime looked amused and gave a noncommittal shrug. It appeared to Raven as if this was a fact he’d longed made peace with. Then Future Jaime dug something out of his pocket and came out with a handful a small, green glowing orbs.

“Connected glamour spells,” he explained, “cause the less that people know about the Titans visiting the future, the better. The last thing we need is for _present-day_ Toyman to realize he once busted the formula for time travel. Take one apiece. You’ll all be able to see each other for who you are, but people on the outside of your group will just see normal civilians.”

“And you happened to just have these on hand?” asked Raven, though her suspicion was dropping by the second as everything came together.

“My wife had to pull some strings,” answered Jaime, causing a few of them to jolt, “Zatanna and John gave her the hook-up. After saying it was a dire need, they gave it to her without any questions asked.”

Jaime looked to be in some sort of awe.

“Wife..?”

“Traci,” said Future Jaime warmly, not taking his eyes off the orbs, “it turns out she’s got magician blood in her from an old line of _Homo Magi._ Been training under the two of them for quite a few years now to help her control it.”

“Small world,” commented Raven, watching Jaime from the side of her eye. He appeared close to hyperventilating.

Starfire and Nightwing exchanged long glances. Nightwing nodded once in approval. Then Kori and he walked forward Future Jaime with their hands out, taking an orb each.

“Who is the magic wielder we’ll be seeing?” asked Kori, examining her magical artifact in the palm of her hand. Raven and the other two boys approached future Jaime and grabbed their own. “How will we get there?”

“I have one of the Titan Jets parked outside now,” answered Jaime. “We’ll use that. As I said, I’ve been waiting around for an hour already because Scarab can’t work a clock right. As for the magic wielder… you’ll see who it is when we get there. I’ll call them up and we’ll be on our way.”

“Do we just swallow these?” asked Jaime uncertainly. It was Nightwing who answered.

“You crush them in your hand,” he said. Upon the looks he got, he explained, “Batman and I had to use Glamour spells from Zatanna one time to infiltrate Grodd’s fortress with the Flash.” Without further ado, Nightwing closed his hand into a fist and they all heard a small pop. His physical form had a temporary greenish outline to it, then it faded. He appeared the same to the Titans. Nightwing looked up at Future Jaime curiously.

“Did it-“

“You look like a happy dad who enjoys barbecue and holiday sweets,” retorted Future Jaime, smirking. Kori and Garfield chuckled as the rest of the Titans followed suit. When Raven’s glowing finally subsided, Future Jaime appraised them to make sure everything was in order.

“All good,” he stated, “you guys look like one big happy family.”

“How do I look?” asked Beast Boy excitedly.

“Derpy. So not much has changed there.”

“If we could get going,” suggested Starfire, cutting off the start of their back-and-forth banter, “please, er… _future_ Jaime, will you take us where we need to go? The sooner we return, the better.”

“Agreed,” said the younger Jaime in a hollow sort of voice. He was still watching the grown-up version of himself with an expression of strong disbelief.

Future Jaime nodded vigorously. “Let’s get going then. Jet’s out back, guys.”

They followed him out, huddled together closely. The Titans Jet waiting for them definitely looked new and improved. Though appearing fast and sleek, It looked capable of seating a dozen people. Future Jaime opened up the doors and they loaded in. The Titans strapped themselves in as Future Jaime stood outside making a call. When he was finished, he followed in after them and took the pilot chair between Starfire and Nightwing, who were looking around peculiarly as the other three.

Raven felt curiosity overwhelming herself and the others, right on the brink of breaking through. And of course, Garfield couldn’t help himself as they began lifting off.

“Sooo, who’s all still on the Titans?” he asked, leaning forward in his chair. “I mean, our minds are being wiped of this anyway, right? So come on Jaime, clue us in.”

Starfire looked torn between snapping at him and wanting to know herself. In the silent internal struggle, Future Jaime spoke up.

“Titans have a whole new crew guys,” he answered. Raven found herself between listening intently and inspecting the future Jump City that they were about to fly over. “New team leader is Static- uh, this guy named Virgil. He’ll crop up to the team in about four years from your time.”

“And us?” asked younger Jaime. His future self flitted a glance back his way.

“I rotate my time between the League and the JLD,” said Jaime, concentrating on his flight path again. “Most of us in here are part-timers. You might even see images of us where we’re going…”

“What am I doing?” demanded Garfield in that excited voice. Future Jaime’s smirk grew.

“You’re in the JL,” he said casually, “part-time because you’re doing so well financially. We’re about to fly over the famous Logan building now,” he finished, gesturing to the tallest skyscraper to the left that was definitely not there in their time.

Beast Boy gaped. _“Seriously?!”_

Future Jaime snorted. “No. Don’t be stupid.”

And indeed, the other side of the building had ‘WAYNE’ written across the top in humongous lettering.

“How about we let go of whatever other questions we have for the time being,” Nightwing suggested as Garfield fumed. He surreptitiously glanced in Starfire’s direction and Raven could feel his wonder without it. Dick was wanting to know if he and Kori had made it. Were they still together.

Raven glanced out the window as the city quickly moved behind them. She wondered where she was out here. Or was she at all? Was there a reason Jaime hadn’t mentioned anything about her future self yet?

In the midst of her contemplating, one of the main screens on the dashboard lit up in front of Future Jaime. He muttered to himself “here we go” before pressing the ‘accept’ button.

The woman that appeared was breathtaking. Unblemished bronze skin, full lips, luscious and long jet-black hair, and eyes the color of the ocean. She had a timeless sort of face that made it hard to pin down how old she could’ve been.

“Hey Jaime,” she said in a soprano voice, “these the time travelers the Scarab told you about?”

“Sure are, Donna,” replied Future Jaime, “they’re from _wayyy_ in the future. Getting them to her now to send them back.”

“Good tidings,” said this Donna woman while looking at Starfire. Her mystical eyes turned to Jaime again. “And Merry Christmas Eve, you! You, Traci, and Jr still coming to the party tonight?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Future Jaime warmly. Donna smiled.

“See you there then,” she said. Her eyes went between Nightwing and Kori. “And Merry Christmas to you all as well! I hope you get back to your home safe and sound.”

“Thank you,” said Starfire. Donna nodded once and cut the connection.

“Donna Troy,” answered Jaime in the following silence, “she joins the team in less than a month once you guys get back.”

“She’s so _divine,”_ said Beast Boy, still dreamily staring at the blank screen.

Older Jaime chuckled. “Yeah, be sure and tell your wife that.”

Starfire cleared her throat before Gar could get on top of that. “Uhm, Jaime, what do we do if we happen to see another one of us here today?”

“Keep to your story I’ve cooked up,” answered Future Jaime steadily, “I’ll explain to the crew what’s happening today at the Christmas Eve party tonight. It’ll explain a lot. You see, we never _have_ had our memories of Christmas that year. John Constantine has only told us we had him wipe them for good reason. Now I guess we’ll finally know. But till then, better safe than sorry.”

They rode in silence for another moment or so, taking it all in. Jump City was now miles away in the distance, but still viewable as they began to descend. Raven peered out the window.

It was a remote area with nothing around it except woods for over a mile. A single-story, long building much like a home rested, looking exceptionally beautiful in the winter light, with a private lake right next to it. Raven loved it.

The Titans Jet pulled to a stop and landed carefully and what appeared to be a humongous front lawn. They filed out, all eyes on the dark wood of the apparent home. Raven hadn’t realized how cold it was until now. Frost clung to the grass and they could all see their breath.

“This is the place?” asked Starfire.

“This is the place,” assured Future Jaime. He began walking forward while rubbing his hands together. Together, they approached large double doors made of a dark, espresso colored wood with a decorative wreath hanging from them.

“Brace yourselves,” muttered the older Jaime before knocking twice. Wondering what he meant, Raven prepared mentally for anything and yet was stilled, frozen in shock, when they saw who was on the other side.

She had opened the door. Raven herself, looking around at them all curiously, an eyebrow infinitesimally arched. Raven stared at her twenty-eight-year-old self. She was slightly taller, her hair was about the same as it had ever been, wore a loosely styled heather grey cable-knit sweater over dark leggings, and there was no dangerous red shard in the middle of her forehead.

“Hey Rae,” greeted Future Jaime warmly, “thanks for getting here so quick. I know you were… busy.”

“It’s fine Jaime,” spoke the Raven of the future, smiling softly. “Come in. Freaking cold out here.” She pulled back the door she had opened wide, giving them enough space to walk past her. Raven kept her eyes dead ahead on Kori’s back as she walked in, scared to look to the side at her future self.

Jaime began explaining to Raven what all was going on. That the Titans were just a family from the future trying to pull a trip into the past as an educational experiment and wound up getting trapped. Raven tried to ignore them as much as she did her team’s sideways glances. Instead, she explored her future home.

It was a fantastic open-floored layout. This wide area stretched from a large kitchen with dark granite counters to a living area with comfortable sofas and a large wall that was entirely a bookshelf illuminated by a twelve-foot-tall Christmas tree next to it. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls comprised the entire back wall giving them a picturesque view of the private lake she had. She could make out the frost on the trees that surrounded the area.

Private, remote, quiet. Raven loved every bit of it.

“Well that’s me then,” said Future Jaime suddenly, pulling Raven out of her studying. “I’m off to the casa. I’ll see you at the party tonight?” he asked Future Raven, who smiled and nodded.

“Be there at eight,” she had said, then paused. “I hope…”

Future Jaime laughed as if they were sharing some kind of private joke. Then he turned to the team. “I hope you guys make it back to your home soon… and Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” said Starfire and Nightwing. Jaime watched the front door wearily a moment after his older self had left and shut it behind him.

Older Raven folded her arms and looked between the seemingly family. “So,” she said, “what were you guys coming back in time to study?”

Kori and Nightwing looked stumped. Raven felt like her gears were either turning much too fast or not moving at all. So Garfield sprang into action.

“We just came back in time for like a Ghosts of Christmas Past event,” he said loudly, waving his hands. Though the rest of the team turned to glare at him, he continued in a joyful sort of voice, “You know, how Jump City _used to_ be at Christmas time. Carolers down the street, wreaths on doors, the whole thing before it all became sky-scrapers as far as the eye could see. Like Star Wars.”

Dick and Kori stared at Garfield with their mouths open. Older Raven watched him, her eyebrow arching an inch higher. No doubt when future Jaime revealed everything to them at whatever party tonight, she’d guess that this one was Beast Boy.

“We’re very sorry to disrupt your Christmas Eve,” Starfire apologized. Raven took her skeptic expression from Garfield to who was unknowingly her oldest friend.

“It’s okay,” she assured her, “but the spell it takes you to send you back from wherever you came is going to take a couple of hours. I have to ready some pretty powerful components from my magical pantry. Jaime said you guys wish to put in the date from when you all came yourselves.”

“It would be for the best,” said Nightwing. Future Raven nodded once. She looked around at them all.

“I’ll prepare,” she said, “in the meantime, make yourselves comfortable, at least. There are drinks in the fridge,” she gestured towards the kitchen with an elegant hand.

“Thank you so much,” said Kori appreciatively. She paused for a moment and then said, “you have a _beautiful_ home.” Raven watched a friendly smile appear on her older self.

“Thank you,” she said before she turned, “it was a wedding gift from my husband,” she finished, and left down the hallway with that bomb hanging over the head of them all.

Raven stared in disbelief at the place where her older version disappeared to. She turned to meet the gawking faces of her team, though Kori and Dick pulled themselves together quickly.

“Well it’s not like that should be a big surprise,” Kori tried, speaking quietly, “you’re a heck of a catch, Raven!”

“And you sure did marry right,” said Beast Boy just as quietly, looking around the place.

Raven’s mind was whirling. It was too much to take in for one day. What was happening…

She started as a hand was placed gently on her shoulder. She looked up to Starfire’s sympathetic eyes.

“Try to do something to make you comfortable,” she said soothingly, “this will all be over soon.”

Raven nodded and began to scour the bookshelves. A lot of her favorites were there. A lot of _first editions_ of her favorites were there. Jaime and Garfield went into the kitchen and came back with glass bottles of sparkling water. Starfire and Nightwing took a seat side-by-side of each other and waited patiently. Dick wrapped an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder. They thought they heard talking from the other room about twenty minutes in, but Raven only heard her own voice. Now that she had time to take it all in, the room wasn’t quite as spinning as it was before. She started inspecting the Christmas tree. There were no presents underneath it…

After about an hour had passed, Raven’s older self came back with a thick, ancient novel open in her hands.

“The spell will be ready soon,” she told them all. “It requires some time for it to build up enough power to make the portal, but I’ve already got it going.”

‘So what now?” asked Nightwing intently.

“We wait,” older Raven replied. Raven just now noticed that she had a black diamond earring. “It will only be-“ she stopped short as they all saw headlights of a car flash into the room and just heard it pull to a stop. The older Raven seemed to sigh in relief as Raven herself waited with bated breath. Surely coming through the door would be the husband?

But it was not.

The front door was yanked open and in ran a small child joyfully yelling, “ _Moooom!”_

Raven stared, stupefied as her twenty-eight-year-old self knelt down with adoration in her amethyst eyes, putting her hands on the child’s shoulder. It was a young girl with windswept hair the exact shade of Raven’s, but much longer. Hers went well past her shoulders. She seemed to be wearing some kind of sportswear underneath a thick jacket, as Raven spied a uniform dark blue jersey and athletic shorts matched with knee high socks and what looked like studded cleats. The Titans were all utterly dumbfounded and Raven was sure they were expecting a grown man as well. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the wonderful young face. Her nose and cheeks were tainted pink from the cold and she was staring at her future self in glee with familiar, sharp green eyes…

“You’re late getting home,” cooed older Raven in a soft and warm voice. “I thought the game was finishing up as I was leaving?”

“It was. There was a holdup.”

Raven nearly jumped like Nightwing on the sofa at the sound of the new voice. Mouths still hanging open, they turned as the expected fully grown man was shutting the front door behind him as he entered. When he turned to face them, it clicked to Raven why the child’s eyes were so familiar.

Damian’s style had barely changed with time. Though older, and much taller, his neat hair was kept the same way. He wore the same type of hoodie and dark jeans he always had with a Patek Phillipe watch on his wrist and a quizzical arch in his brow as he looked around at the Titans, each one of them staring at him with an open mouth.

“We have guests,” stated Damian simply, “and they seem surprised to see me in my own home.” He looked over to Future Raven and their daughter. “Is this what Jaime called about?”

“Yeah,” said the older Raven, wiping a smudge from her daughter’s cheek, “time travelers.”

Damian shrugged and nodded to all of them absently, walking over to where his family was. Kori came out of it faster than the others and nudged Dick in the ribs with an elbow to get him to stop staring. Raven dropped her own gaze as if it had affected her as well.

It was picturesque indeed as they watched the trio gather close in the light of the Christmas Tree behind them. Like a true miracle. Older Raven gently laid a hand on her daughter’s cheek as Damian stopped to stand behind the child.

“Did you win your game?” asked Raven.

“No,” the young girl said, “We lost by _a lot!”_ She sounded rather happy about it. The Raven of the future smiled fondly with a face as if her child was a cute puppy that she didn’t have the heart to discipline.

“Well that’s a bad way to end off the season,” she said, “did you get a trophy at least?”

The child dropped her eyes in a dramatically sad manner as if all hope was lost.

“No,” she mumbled dejectedly, and it broke Raven’s heart, “dad said trophies are only for winners.”

Garfield couldn’t control a snort of laughter as Future Raven glared over the top of her child’s head at her husband, who wore a face of disbelief.

“I said no such thing!” he sputtered, staring back at Raven in appalment. His child continued to work against him.

“He didn’t even take me out for ice cream like he promised,” she said mournfully. Damian’s lower jaw dropped.

“I let you eat it in the car, you traitor,” he said hurriedly as if to avoid his wife’s wrath. But Future Raven was relaxed now, rolling her eyes and smiling. Though she looked curious up at her husband.

“It took you guys over an hour to get ice cream?” she asked. “The game was almost finished by the time I left.”

“No, there was a holdup,” said the young girl, smiling happily once more. Damian curiously stiffened behind her. “A lot of the other moms saw you leave and came over to talk after the game was done. They kept asking if _things were alright_ and wanted to know if me and dad _needed a place to stay_ and stuff like that. Some of them said they’d always have a room for each of us.”

Starfire pressed her knuckles to her lips to stifle laughter. Raven wished she had five more eyes, wanting to keep them all on each member of the family simultaneously.

“Really?” Future Raven asked her daughter. Then her eyes narrowed the tiniest bit as an uptick appeared at the corner of her mouth. “Whose moms were they?”

“Nooo,” Damian cut across before any more damage could be done, “that’s enough. Raven, it was nothing.”

Raven kissed her daughter on the forehead. “We’ll talk about it later. Now go on Thalia, you smell and we’re going to the party tonight. Go shower.”

The young girl named Thalia lit up like the Christmas Tree. “Will Mar’i be there?” she asked excitedly. Future Raven smiled and nodded. “Aunt Kori texted me as we got to the game saying she and Dick will be making it back in time. Which reminds me,” she said, looking up at her husband again, “Selina called about half an hour ago. She and your dad want to know what time we’ll be getting there tomorrow.”

“As soon as we can get this one calmed down enough to take her somewhere publicly,” said Damian, looking down at his daughter. Raven smiled.

“Now go shower, Thalia,” said Future Raven. “We have work to do.”

“’Kay,” said Thalia mirthfully. She spread her arms out wide and ran down the hallway, making a _zoom_ noise as if she were an actual airplane.

Future Raven stood back up again. She didn’t embrace her husband. They didn’t touch physically but stared each other warmly in the eye standing less than a foot apart. The moment felt far more intimate than what a hug or kiss would have been, but Damian broke it off before any of the Titans could grow uncomfortable, glancing sideways at Kori and Dick on the couch.

“So,” he said, “time travelers?”

“Yeah,” said Dick, standing up and extending a hand, “it’s kind of an education only thing. I’m Richard.”

Damian took his hand with a _hmph._ “That’ll be easy to remember.”

“Why’s that?” wondered Dick innocently.

“That’s my brother’s name,” said Damian factually. Dick opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it again. Damian looked around at them all. His eyes landed on Raven the longest, but before she could make too much of it, loudly said, “You have a beautiful family.”

“Thank you,” said Kori, standing up as well, “as do you.” She looked down the hallway. “What a wonderful, active child.”

“She wanted to play soccer this year to spend time with friends,” explained Future Raven, “and was just old enough in time to join the eight-year-old and up local team called the Jump City Titans.” Current Raven almost choked. “They’ve been around for a few years…”

Raven felt like her legs were about to give out on her. This was too much. Was it all a dream? She scarcely recalled ever having one so happy… As she looked up again and saw Damian walking with Dick and Kori over to the kitchen area, she thought nothing could ever match this. She wanted this life to be real more than anything.

It felt like the ultimate gift…

“You sure do have lots of sweets here,” commented Dick, looking around at all the treats laid out on the counter as Damian grabbed them glass bottles from the fridge. “Thalia bring a lot of friends over.”

“Sometimes,” said Damian, “but those are more for my wife than anything. Raven has a wicked sweet tooth. The first time we ever actually hung out she gave me a bite of her cotton candy and kept the rest to herself. The moment she found out we could import chocolate from Switzerland and Belgium, my credit cards were finished.”

Dick and Kori laughed loudly together. Future Raven shook her head in amusement but didn’t take her eyes off the ancient novel she was reading. “It’s almost finished,” she called out.

Raven’s eyes found the Christmas Tree again, glowing hopefully.

Please let this be real. Please let this be real…

“Your wife mentioned this home was your wedding present for her,” said Kori, but Damian shook his head subtly.

“She gives me too much credit,” he admitted sheepishly, “I bought the space for us so she could design our home herself. To build it just as she wanted. That was the best I could give her.”

Raven looked away, staring at the floor. So that’s why everything was so perfect to her…

Damian laughed with Dick and Kori again about something as Jaime and Gar looked back and forth between the two Ravens. And then suddenly, a portal appeared and Future Raven looked up.

“We’re good to go,” said that Raven loudly. “All I need is someone to come here and tell it what time to take you to. Warning though, it’s going to drop you off at this exact location in that time frame.”

“That should be good,” said Nightwing quickly. He drank the rest of the sparkling water Damian had got for him and set it down as the team assembled in front of the portal. Future Raven and Damian hung back as they huddled together. Raven shot a look of desperation back at them as Kori leaned forward to speak. Damian’s arm wrapped around her future self’s shoulder. Future Raven placed a hand gently over his.

Kori whispered Christmas Eve of the year they’d traveled from, hoping not to be overheard. The portal instantly turned brighter.

“Everyone ready?” asked Nightwing rhetorically. Raven almost wanted to say she wasn’t. She didn’t want to go just yet. Her thoughts were churning around Damian. Around this home. A child they had named Thalia, who had a better and happier childhood than her parents had ever dreamed of…

“I’ll do anything to make this come true,” said Raven to herself. She received a nudge and looked up to the smiling face of Nightwing.

“Then come on,” he said, “this isn’t something you have to stay behind for. It’s what’s waiting for you. Just never give up.”

Raven swallowed a constricted throat and nodded. She threw one glance behind her as Damian already began carelessly turning away. Future Raven winked right at her, almost as if to convey a message. For some reason, that made Raven find the strength of will it took to turn and head through after her teammates.

There was a blinding light, during which she swore she heard Garfield scream like a little girl, and then suddenly they were all standing in an empty forest. Raven landed on her feet, barely able to keep upright as Jaime and Garfield landed on their backs with a thud on either side of her. Raven, feeling wobbly, looked around. It wasn’t a clearing like they’d just been in, but the type of trees certainly matched where they just were. She turned to find Nightwing and Starfire but stopped before saying anything. They had their fingers snared with the other’s, heads close together.

Ah. Yes. She’d somehow forgotten. While there, they realized they’d made it. Together.

Raven smiled at the loving couple.

“That… was…” panted Jaime, standing up.

“Wicked,” finished Garfield.

“What a day…” said Dick in a low voice, staring up into Starfire’s eyes. There was a long moment of pause which Kori broke them out of.

“The factory,” she said. “Robin!”

That pulled Raven out of her thoughts. She’d been staring at the ground, dwelling on the life she was to have right here. But upon hearing that name, her head jerked up. It was time to go. Beast Boy transformed into an eagle as Kori grabbed her boyfriend and they all took flight. The moment they rose above the trees they could see Jump City. It took them no time at all to find the factory they’d been at what felt like ages ago. As they lowered themselves through the hole in the wall, Beast Boy asked Raven from his eagle form next to her, “So what’s your take on what’s supposedly waiting for you?”

Before she replied, they heard a squeaky, frightened yell. They glanced over to see Robin holding Toyman by the neck, lifting him over two feet off the ground, and looking more than ready to punch his lights out. The floor was littered with defeated henchmen.

“If I have to ask you again, I’m going to shove you in a box and ship you back labeled as _defective_ ,” snarled Damian, “what did you-“ then he stopped abruptly as the caught sight of the Titans coming in and landing on the tiled floor. He dropped Toyman. Perhaps she was imagining it, but Raven liked to think that he was looking directly at her. She smiled with her eyes on him.

“I can’t wait,” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to model their home after the famous Bruce Wayne lake house in BvS. Not overly crazy about the movie itself, but I thought that was just the coolest. Private, remote. And the floor-to-ceiling windows would be reminiscent of Titans Tower to Raven and Damian. So I thought it fit.


	4. The Last Titan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something new, hoping you guys will like! please let me know in the comments what you honestly think.

Ruins were sometimes all you were left with. A hole larger than the size of what your life felt blown through the middle of your gut. Legs lifeless beneath you. And blood running colder than ice as you feel every beat of your heart pounding in your ears.

Raven was alone in a deserted cavernous area full of broken machinery and felt it was a landscape worse than Hell. Her vision was blurry. She felt so weak, almost numb to the cold floor that would’ve been hurting her knees had she been more aware. Mustering up as much strength as she could, Raven attempted to push herself up to stand, only to fall back down the instant she rose followed by a gasp in pain.

“I can’t-“ she managed, sounding nearly inaudible to herself. Pale hands were on cold stone floors yet again, getting blurrier by the second. It was taking everything in her not to collapse.

“Ra- Raven..?”

Spontaneous strength snapped in her. Lifting her eyes up to where the voice came from, she couldn’t quite make out where the voice had come from. Only from who.

“Ro- T-Tim?” she asked the darkness around her. “Where are you?”

“Just… _unh,_ about twenty fight to your right.”

Raven peered that way best as she could, but to no avail. In a mental state of detriment, she somehow found the energy to begin numbly moving her limbs across the surface, crawling in the direction her old friend stated. Her breathing was becoming wheezier like her lungs were losing the will to take in air. It felt like her senses didn’t want to keep bearing witness to what they were observing around her until finally, her hand touched a boot. Meekly lifting her gaze up, she could just make out the unmoving colorful blob that was Robin.

“Tim,” choked Raven, her throat in searing pain, “what’s happened..? I-“

“They got us, Rae,” mumbled Tim and his voice sounded weaker than his life force felt. Raven could barely pick either of them up. “It… it’s not your fault, old friend. We, _unh…_ we just… didn’t put our trust in the right people this time…”

Raven managed to crawl a little further up. Her hand gripped Tim’s shoulder as best it could, hopefully not hurting him, and planted herself right by his side. Coldness gripped her as she realized Tim hadn’t even been able to have moved an inch. Even touching him, she felt only the scarcest whisper of life.

“How… did this happen?” breathed Raven. It was very nearly all she could muster anymore. “The… others?”

Silence met her for much longer than she liked, though now Raven’s eyes were closed. She was leaning against the same piece of broken machinery Tim was propped up on. The most powerful tug of life hit her as what was left of Tim Drake flooded with an overwhelming emotion: grief.

“They… there aren’t going to be any others with you anymore, Raven…”

Raven couldn’t marshal any more strength except her shut eyes tightening even more as her body somehow found it in her to well up tears beneath her lashes. She felt it… it only being her and Tim in this large empty room. Yet the rest of the Titans had gone nowhere at all.

“How?” she croaked as the first tear fell.

“I- _unh! Oooh man,”_ said Tim in a voice lower than before. Raven struggled to hear a word he whispered, and now it was even in a strangled voice. “It wasn’t your fault… Rae… Terra was never with us.”

Raven tried to recall the last thing she remembered. Falling asleep in the tower. Glimpses of other moments came to her. But they were so foggy.

“Drugged you,” Tim answered her thoughts. He gave a wet cough before continuing. “Nothing… _nothing_ you could’ve done. Got you while you were sleeping. Heh… always said you were our… our ace-in-the-hole, Rae…”

“Tim,” moaned Raven, barely above a whisper, “please, don’t. I was nothing in the end… Terra? Why?”

“Deathstroke. She and him… working for over a year undercover on us… for Blood.”

“We beat him,” said Raven, only to herself. “Every factory he had, we destroyed.”

“Diversions,” said Tim solemnly in that horrendous voice, “really working on a way to steal our powers… and they did. A trap. For each and every one of us…”

Tears were falling from both of Raven’s eyes now. “Kori..? Gar...? _Donna?”_

“They’re here, Rae,” said Tim softer than ever now. “We’re still with you. I guess… I guess the machine wasn’t enough to off you.”

“Not as sharp as usual, Robin,” sniffled Raven, feeling weaker by the second, “I’ll be right behind you.”

It took Tim a long moment to answer. Raven was scared for a second, but his voice came back.

“Nah… you’ll make it out of here, Rae. You’re the strongest person I know. Just… take them. Please do it right. Take me back to my father… And don’t have this black cloud over you. You need… you need…”

Quiet hung in the air. Raven opened her eyes again, everything before her undepictable through wet and darkening vision.

“Tim?” she called out meekly.

“…..”

“……….”

“Tim..?”

“………..”

“……………….”

_“Tim….!?”_

“…………….”

“…………………………….”

~

Raven wasn’t aware how much time was passing. The next time she opened her eyes, her vision was back, but she couldn’t manage to stay awake. She caught the sight of Tim Drake, eyes closed in his Robin mask and an almost peaceful expression upon his face before she fainted again. The second time she awoke, strength was returning to her limbs. She managed to get up and stumble a few steps before falling again, barely catching herself on more broke machinery. Misery overwhelmed her as she had caught the sight of a tall and familiar slender figure in a purple getup next to a black-and-blue suited young man. Heartache was all she felt as she fell into darkness again.

The next time Raven came to she’d found much more of her strength. Nothing even an inch to her full powers, but she could stand without headache. And, most unfortunately, see.

The area was generally in a state of disaster. Sparks still flickered out of the large machines posted around. Perhaps the Titans had some sort of fight immediately after the procedure. Perhaps there was an explosion or something at the end. She didn’t know. She didn’t really care. All that mattered was the end result and here it was, lying all around her.

Kori… Donna… Garfield… Jaime… Wally… Tim…

The best that could be said, as Raven dropped to her knees beside her late Amazonian friend, was that their bodies were at least unblotted with bruises. It looked as if they had merely fallen asleep.

She had to do something, anything. Lining her friends up to move, she numbly thought of how to proceed. Yet Raven had no idea where she even was. Constructing a portal back to the tower seemed the obvious thing to do. But the thought of returning to an empty home with her deceased family at her side sapped the life from her. Her arm fell to her side, dangling helplessly. Glancing downwards, her eyes found Tim’s resting face.

He always knew what to do.

_“Please do it right. Take me back to my father.”_

“Oh Tim,” said Raven under her breath, “how could I possibly do that…” The thought of Batman being shown his second dead son was daunting. She’d never really known the other Robin who’d passed. Jason Todd had been five years ahead of her. It was easier to think of that, though, than of her friend’s own fates. Almost a welcomed distraction to focus on.

It was a familiar tale only because once you’ve heard it the one time, it was seared into your mind for good. Batman being too late for once. A rare failure for the Dark Knight of the Justice League. His own son destroyed by his arch-nemesis. And then Jason’s seemly return years later as a haunting anti-hero to Gotham before reforming.

Raven paused and for a long moment, she didn’t even consciously know for what.

…

Returned.

The thought boiled in Raven’s brain. She stood there, frozen, but the first time feeling anything but. Her mind raced with a daring idea that she knew was desperate, had even called despicable and unnatural before in a conversation with Donna, was suddenly the most influential thought it felt she ever had. It would not be something she’d ever consider otherwise.

She tensed as she realized just how easy it was to judge from the other end. When it wasn’t your family that was dead.

Raven knew borderline nothing about the Lazarus Pits. Only that there were a few of them throughout the planet and the only location of one that she even remotely knew of was in Nanda Parbat, the home of Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins.

Think logically, Raven. Think logically…

But how could she? For the second time in her life, she was surrounded by her destroyed family, alone and not knowing what to do. Desperation seized her heart, taken over her mind. It felt as if she concentrated too hard on anything else but this chance, the mental control of her powers would snap. Though she wasn’t even sure where Nanda Parbat was. Somewhere in the Tibetan mountains. She’d never even been to Tibet.

Shaky breathing of the Titan was the only noise made in this cavernous room. The broken machinery had stopped sending sparks in desperate attempts at life. The six bodies of her only friends were unmoving. Her amethyst eyes drifted until they found the feet of her team. Something about that sight oddly seemed to have been a deciding factor.

She had to try. At the very least, she had to investigate. If there was even the slimmest of chances.

Thinking quickly, Raven raised her hands and muttered a magical phrase that fabricated a glowing oval-shaped portal in the middle of the room. A pocket dimension where time worked very differently was on the other side.

“This will keep you,” said Raven hoarsely to the feet of her friends, unable to look upon their faces anymore, “until I… I can do this.” Carefully, concentrating as much as she could, she lifted their bodies telekinetically and moved them through the portal, feeling just as empty as before once she closed it behind them.

~

Every step taken felt weightless to Raven, as though she were no longer tied to reality. Stepping through the next portal she’d formed some hours later after regaining strength, Raven found herself at the foot of the Himalayas, the only place she knew where to start on the look for Nanda Parbat.

After debating very briefly of whether or not to go to Batman or Nightwing, she decided against it as they would likely be opposed to the steps she was willing to take.

What she wasn’t braced for was how cold it was going to be. Freezing winds ripped straight through her violet cloak. The hood up made no difference at all. Hugging herself tightly, she made her way forward. A small village was just ahead, the closest civilization she knew to the foot of the region. Nightwing had once spoken of this place during storytime to the Titans once long ago before he’d left the leadership to Kori to start his life with Barbara in Bludhaven.

A few dozen buildings made of wood seemed familiar from his tale. Nearly all were dimly lit as the sun began to fade, quickly hiding behind the massive size of the mountain close in the distance. It was here she’d begin to ask around.

But come morning. For now, she needed to find somewhere to lay her head and get warm.

A single long, dark pavement road led the way to the village beneath her as she flew in. Raven wondered idly how many travelers this location actually received. There weren’t even vehicles on the roads as far as she could tell. Some horses, some mules pulling carts with people walking beside them. Smaller wooden homes laid on the outskirts while larger buildings that Raven assumed were shops were towards the central area. One of the few buildings that were over a single story tall that had the most lights had a sign that read _Dechen Inn._

Raven landed close to it while still covered in darkness, not keen to be seen until she had to. Lamp posts lit the corners of the village, but all else was shadows other than interior lighting. As she made her way up the front steps of the tavern, thinking of a story she could spin, she heard much laughter from down the road, from the brightest building in the small settlement. She could almost smell the alcohol from here.

A small bell rang as she pushed the front door open gently. It was a quaint room, devoid of anyone else but a receptionist with his back turned, warm and lit by candles. A slender man in a stitched coat with a mousey face and a thin mustache turned towards Raven, pausing as he inspected her fully. An uneasy smile that Raven didn’t like slid onto his face.

“Well _hellooo,”_ said the man in an oily voice, “how might I help you, young lady? Far from home?”

“I’m in need of a room for the night,” said Raven, lowering her hood. The man’s eyes popped open further. “I have no currency of any kind, but I’m willing to work to pay a debt.”

“Oh?” squealed the man in a delighted manner. “You’re willing to… _work,_ are you?”

His eyes drooped to Raven’s breasts.

“Enough!”

Raven’s glare went from the weaselly man to the new figure emerging from a wooden door behind him. An older, grizzly looking man of Asian descent. He was a more burly figure with cropped hair and an unkempt beard. His dark eyes were hard on the receptionist, who’d jumped as if whipped by his master for getting his hand caught in the cookie jar.

“You’re done for the night _,”_ said the burly man roughly to the weasel. “ _Go home.”_

“Ah- of course, master Jampa,” said the weasel man politely, but his face quickly became a sneer as he bowed his head and turned away from them, leaving through a side door. The burly man watched the door for a long moment before turning his gaze to Raven.

“You had nothing to fear from him,” he said as gently as he could for having the booming voice of a giant.

“No, I didn’t,” agreed Raven. The burly man seemed to be inspecting her, but in a much different way from the receptionist.

“You say you will work,” he stated, “what can you do?”

“I’m capable of whatever is needed to be done,” said Raven confidently, “I just need a place to be out of the cold… and information.”

The burly man chuckled once, but Raven could tell it was more out of sarcasm than amusement.

“Information?” he said gruffly. “Does it look like I’m the kind to have spades of information, young lady?”

“Inn-Keeps always do,” Raven tried. The burly inn-keep studied her for a few moments longer, then nodded his head, looking tired.

“Leave it for the morning time,” he said in that rough voice, “after you _work._ You will be up at first light. Repay me well for the rest and I will tell you all I can. You’ll find a made bed up the stairs, second door on the left.”

It was a fair agreement that Raven respected. A good start to getting what she needed, at the very least. She bade the giant inn-keeper goodnight and made her way as he directed.

Despite the thick boards of shelter, the rooms were still cold. A single bed, about a twin size, was waiting in the room for her. There was hardly anything more to it and the sheets were fairly thin. She had to keep herself wrapped in her cloak and then the blankets provided as not to freeze. Her head on the uncomfortable feather pillow, Raven tried desperately not to think of her friends in their current state. But still, it seized her. Anxiety gripped her as some untold fear told her that there was nothing to be done. It froze her chest.

But exhaustion still took her to Morpheus. She was still feeling incredibly week from what had taken place against her team and was doubtful she could even produce another portal without a good night’s sleep. Though until the very end, their faces flashed in her mind, and Raven felt a tear slide down her cheek as she entered the temporary abyss.

~

An awful nightmare of flying demons destroying the world frightened Raven’s senses enough to jolt her awake. Her eyes sprang wide and she sat up breathing quickly. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face.

Sunlight was coming through the looser boards of the room. She could hear murmurs coming from below her. Raven threw the covers off of her body, feeling irritation at herself- she’d promised the inn-keep to have been up at first light. With nothing in the room to even wash her face with, she merely rubbed her eyes as she pulled the door open and made her way downstairs.

“There you are,” came a booming voice from her right as Raven reached the landing. Raven whipped her head around to see the inn-keep, Jampa, sitting alone at one of three wooden tables in what Raven presumed was a dining room. She slowly walked over.

“Sit,” he said, gesturing to one of the empty chairs. The wind was whipping sharply against the windows. She could feel wisps of it through the boards. “Join me. We shall talk.”

Raven glanced down at the contents of the table. A large plate of eggs was accompanied by some homemade-looking bread components. A mug made of hammered steel contained a steaming dark liquid.

Slowly, she lowered herself on the chair two seats from him.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, “I told you I’d be awake at first light-“ she began to apologize, but the burly inn-keep cut her off before she could continue.

“To which I would have said go back to sleep girl,” he boomed, taking a large bite of bread. “I do not trade work for shelter. If there was something needed be done, I would do it myself.” To Raven’s questioning look, he, in a voice some octaves lower, said, “You did not see your own face last night. You were clearly in a state of shock, girl. As unbothered as you were from my new greeter, I reckoned it wasn’t him that did that to you.”

Raven clenched her jaw to still her quivering bottom lip and dropped her eyes to the table. “Thank you,” she said.

Jampa munched for a second longer the pushed the plates towards Raven.

“Eat,” he said. “The few other occupants I had have already left. This is what’s left. Gather your strength and tell me what you’ve come for.”

Raven picked at the bread absently, knowing the inn-keep was still watching her. After nibbling on a piece of surprisingly tasty breakfast, she began.

“I just need information,” she said, “about a local legend: Nanda Parbat.”

Whatever the inn-keep Jampa had been expecting, this was not it. He froze in a moment of shock. When he recovered, his face was nearly dismissive.

“Demons and ghosts, girl,” he said gruffly, “that which doesn’t exist. You’ve come for nothing.”

“I know Nanda Parbat exists,” said Raven in determination, “and I know it’s on this mountain. I just don’t know precisely where.”

“You know this place that has never been found exists,” said Jampa, fixing a stare at her with those dark eyes, “tell me, have you also caught the fat man in a red suit that sneaks down chimneys once a year?”

A caustic response stopped on the edge of Raven’s tongue- she felt it. Not even close to her normal strength, she felt a sense of what he was feeling.

“Tell me why you don’t believe your own words,” said Raven slowly. Jampa’s eyes tightened and Raven knew she’d caught him at something.

“Why do you look for the home of demons?” he instead said in a defensive voice. There was a pause as he and Raven studied one another. Raven folded her hands on the table, closed her eyes, and reopened them, fixing the inn-keep with a new look.

“Believe me,” she said, “they’re not the only demons.”

Jampa’s eyes widened again and Raven felt the second emotion running through him: fear.

He took a moment to compose himself. Raven watched as he gazed out the window and around his inn before looking back at her. They both ignored voices coming from outside.

“There are legends of course,” he started off, “of this mystical palace in the mountains where ninjas dwelled. The kind of thing some kid would have made up a hundred years ago to impress his friends. But they say the tale is centuries old.”

“And what about anything said recently would have you believe them?” asked Raven, reaching for some grasp as to where to go next. The inn-keep gave her a long look before answering.

“Nothing,” he said quietly, “because the only ones who come back from seeking it are the ones who never found a thing.”

“There has to be something!” Raven insisted. Jampa was glancing down at her hands which had turned to fists on the table. He was quiet another moment longer before sighing.

“There were rumors,” he started off slowly, “seven, eight years ago from some hikers who’d gone up to reach the peak on the north-eastern side… they say there were explosions in the distance, echoing off the peaks of snow.”

“Did anyone investigate?” Raven asked desperately.

“Those who did never returned,” said Jampa in an uninterested voice, “or do you not remember me telling you?”

Raven glanced out the window. Villagers were walking by slowly and trying to sneakily peer in making her believe the weasel from last night had perhaps gossiped. Fortunately, the windows were dark enough she doubted they saw anything.

“That’s where I’ll start my search then,” decided Raven, standing from the table. Jampa watched her wearily.

“Tell me, girl,” he said in a heavy voice, “do you seek this place for the legend of its immortality?”

Raven glanced at him again watching her with a somber expression. This stranger had fed her, given her shelter, and, most importantly, information without asking a thing in return. And now he seemed concerned for her. As much as she didn’t want to talk, or even think, about her business there, she owed him something.

“I’m not going for anything that has to do with myself,” she said evasively. Jampa studied her intently again and then his face gradually eased.

“You remind me of the man from long ago,” he said mysteriously, sipping from the steel mug.

“Someone comes to mind when you look at me?” asked Raven skeptically. Jampa chuckled.

“My mother, who started this inn when I was a boy, was still running the show the day he came,” said Jampa. “Come and gone like the spring wind. He looked a few years younger than I was at the time, not much older than you seem to be now. I remember the women around here _Aden_ long after he’d left because he never once gave a name. Means _good-looking_ in our tongue,” he said in response to Raven’s questioning look. “He came one night looking for Nanda Parbat just like you are. I’ll never forget the determination in those serious blue eyes of his… they made quite the impression. Never once hesitated after being told most who went looking for it in the wild, lost parts of the mountain never returned. The fellas ‘round here all said he was going up there to be the leader of the demon killers, but I knew. Looking him in the eye, I knew… there was a good one.”

Raven managed to not physically react to the chill she felt crawling over her skin as she knew exactly whom the inn-keep was mentioning. “So,” she said, “how long ago was he here?”

Jampa looked thoughtful. “Time is hard to tell here by your standards, measuring every second of every day in your computers and calendars. But I’d say… eighteen years? Nearly nineteen years? Been a long, long while. He was just one you don’t forget.”  
  


You have no idea, thought Raven. She felt a court of curiosity build up outside of the inn. The weasel had definitely done some talking.

“I’ll be taking my leave now,” said Raven, “thank you for everything you have provided me with.”

Jampa grunted, watching her. Raven sensed his hesitation before saying, “If… if you do manage to find this place and you make it back. Pop on by again. Eggs on the house.”

Raven paused at the unexpected sentiment. She swallowed and softly said, “I will.” Then turned and headed for the door, throwing her hood up over her head.

Every head was staring in her direction once Raven stepped out the front door, but she paid them no mind. Her eyes were on the far north-east side of the mountain. Not much of her strength had returned, but Raven knew she’d be using whatever had today in order to find Nanda Parbat. Ignoring a few different set of people asking how she was and if she’d come over for tea, raven lifted a palm to the empty space in front of her and created a portal, concentrating on it sending her a few thousand feet up the mountain. Several of the villagers cried.

“Witch!” one screamed.

“Kill it with fire!” yelled another.

“Begone, demon! We’ve done nothing wrong!” the next hollered.

Raven didn’t bother with their cursing. There wasn’t time. She stepped through her portal and came upon a grassy ledge.

It took Raven a moment to soak in where she was at. Virgin mountain laid out all around her. Steep cliffs of sharp rocks with patches of dark green in-between went up for as far as her eye could see. There was a very large nest with three crème-colored, brown-spotted eggs not thirty feet below her. At this distance, she couldn’t make out the village that must’ve been over half a mile down. All that could be heard was the whistling of the sharp wind.

Raven looked in every direction of the purity for where to jump to next. She had to hurry. It would be days at most before Batman or Nightwing would try to contact the tower. Probably sooner in case of radio silence. There was no affording to waste any time.

Gathering her bearings, Raven found the direction of north-east and prepared for another portal jump. Already the tips of her fingers were losing feeling, but she had no choice. Raising a palm yet again, Raven emitted a portal that took her a few thousand feet away.

And so it carried on for a majority of the day. Sapping what little strength she’d regained, Raven covered as much ground as she possibly could, often coming across rare and exotic Himalayan wildlife such as the Himalayan Monal (a rare bird nearly as colorful as a peacock), blue sheep standing upon some boulders that fled the instant Raven appeared, a host of yaks in the distance grazing, and even a singular snow leopard that was sleeping in a tucked away crevice very far up. Raven observed the majestic animal resting peacefully as she gathered the strength for another jump.

All day she traveled like this, time being hard to tell in the vast shadows of the mountain, trying to find a secret that not even neighbors knew of. Again she thought of contacting Batman, perhaps designing some elaborate other reason of why she’d need to find this lost palace. Almost giving up as the freezing winds cut straight to her bones numbing her the further up she went. Then, as she stepped through her dozenth portal and came across another tall grass ledge, a sight as majestic as Azarath itself greeted her eyes.

Nanda Parbat.

A collection of very well-crafted buildings built on what looked like a very large ledge with two grand clearings in the middle. The buildings had white walls with blue-tiled thatched roofs. Columns rising far above the rest were dispersed throughout the area, probably as lookouts. Overlooking it all was one building much larger than the rest, spanning wide and standing perhaps five or six stories tall. Raven guessed it was built there as to stand over the Lazarus Pit itself.

It was very obvious as to why it had been so difficult to find after centuries to Raven. Nanda Parbat, though it looked to be a large estate indeed, was tucked away hidden in-between peaks of the Himalayas, not something one could spot while scaling up the mountain. You’d have to be lucky to find the right spot to be able to look down on it like Raven was.

She calculated where first to go with her senses being as dull as the felt at this point as she peered over the ledge she was on, unable to even feel a collective bit of emotion running through the estate. Nothing jumped out at her. No training in the courtyard, no particular building brimming with life, even the main structure had but a few lights on.

Raven studied the layout further. Jumping straight to the courtyard had seemed suicide at first, but it had to have been the best bet to get attention fast. What she knew of Ra’s al Ghul was that he was not known for his mercy. If she couldn’t defend herself, she was a goner. But the chances of her dragging this out any longer were slim as every part of her felt weak and the air was getting colder.

There wasn’t much of a choice, she realized, as she tried to stand and instantly dropped back to her knees. It appeared she’d made it this far off adrenaline alone. Now that she stopped to think, that intensity had left her. Pain was coming in waves throughout her body. She had to act fast.

Clenching her teeth down hard, Raven summoned the last portal she could manage, hoping to use what last bits of strength she had left to create a shield for when it was needed. She forged her way through and came upon dirt covering a hard stone surface. The walls she’d witnessed from a distance stood around her, much taller than she’d realized, giving her the feeling of being trapped.

All was silent for the briefest moment, save the swaying of the wind.

Raven had just enough awareness to throw up a shield in time to deflect a volley of a half dozen arrows.

“ _Ah!”_ she cried in pain, feeling their sharpness against her construct.

“Our sanctuary has been breached!” said a female voice fiercely. Raven saw what must have been the leader of the guards jump down into the clearing in front of her, a trail of assassins quickly following behind her. Her jet-black hair was no longer than Raven’s. The woman wore minimal clothing despite the freezing weather. A scarlet long-sleeved top with a diamond cut hold between her neckline and cleavage flowed down to a loin-cloth between her thighs, leaving her shapely legs exposed. She drew a curved katana and directed her horde towards Raven with it.

“Defend our home!” she ordered them all. “Attack!”

Nearly two dozen assassins rushed Raven without any further ado. Closing her eyes and feeling desperate, Raven could already taste blood in her mouth. Nearly every joint in her body ached. Only now she was realizing just how not far from her death bed she was. Mustering every little bit of energy she could, she pushed out her dark energy shield to slam it against the oncoming attackers, knocking many several feet back.

But her shield had now dispersed and Raven fell to her knees, helpless.

“Please,” she tried, but there wasn’t any way they heard her. She sounded nearly as weak as she’d been when talking to Tim. “I just need… I need…”

A horrendous moment arrived when she heard a single assassin running up, drawing their sword.

Raven closed her eyes, preparing for the final swing.

_“Enough!”_

All paused. It seemed even the wind. Raven’s eyes opened weakly, but they were still cast downwards. She had just enough awareness to know the assassin’s blade had stopped less than a foot away from hitting the back of her neck.

Her vision was darkening. Her senses grew dull. But she still heard significant steps coming her way as her would-be assassin retreated. Suddenly, finely made boots stepped in front of Raven and came to a halt. She felt the being kneel down in front of her.

“You,” the voice said with distaste. Raven found the strength to crane her neck up. Darkness blurred nearly everything out, but one thing managed to stand out vividly before she collapsed. A set of serious, emerald-shaded eyes that may have been the last thing she’d ever see.

And Raven fell towards them and all was dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's hard for me to stay in a serious, grim mood to write like this, so this particular story is coming out much slower than I'd like. If I've lost the tone or the sense of story itself, please let me know. Could always rework stuff out. More will come soon!


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